As we enter this new year, I have thought a lot about what to share. I keep coming back to the concept of not holding on so tightly to the extremes of this or that (meaning if we are facing difficulties, we cannot also experience joy in life). This month, I would like to explore how to reconcile ourselves with the idea of this and that. For me, that includes grief and joy, turbulence and peace, striving for our goals and waiting on God.

In my own life recently, hard things have come at me in a major way. Discouragement, grief, physical pain, and personal hurt confronted me daily right in the middle of the holiday season, leaving me full of questions. God began speaking to me and I realized there will be times in life when we hold both. However, that does not have to keep us from the having peace Jesus promises.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 ESV)

We can carry grief and still walk in the joy of the Lord. In the midst of hurt and discouragement, we have the comfort of God’s peace that passes all our understanding. We can experience loss—whether that be the loss of a loved one, the loss of relationships, the loss of a job, or even the loss of expectations in this season of life. At the same time, we can acknowledge the blessings we have in new relationships, and new opportunities that are right in front of us.

A lot of our stress and anxiety result from our efforts to hold so tightly to one thing or the other. Why do we think we can only be sad or happy? We mourn what’s lost without always recognizing the blessings we still have. If we are struggling in an area, we often fail to notice the good. We can resolve ourselves to the fact that it’s OK to hold both things at the same time, allowing ourselves the grace that we need to walk through the difficulties, yet maintain hope in the good. I am learning this myself. Sometimes, when we are in the middle of the hard times and the grief, we do not let ourselves experience joy. We can grieve, knowing there’s still joy to be had. After all, joy and peace are part of the spiritual blessings in the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). These spiritual gifts help us walk through the heavy and the hard. We hold on to God’s peace and joy which carry us through.

We do not have to compartmentalize our emotions, stressing ourselves over feeling one thing or the other. How does this concept relate to us as creatives? Often, we find ourselves wanting to hurry and finish a project. We become angry and blame ourselves when it might not come together as quickly or in the way we expected. Know that we can slow down, take our time, and trust in God.

We can be resilient and still know it’s alright to allow ourselves to take a break. We can be independent and still need to lean on the strength of our community. We can know that we did our best at the time, yet still allow room for growth to learn more. Most importantly, rest in the promises from the Word of God:

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7 ESV)

So, in this new year on our journey as creatives, let’s learn not to be too hard on ourselves. Offer yourself the very same grace we would extend to others. Work hard to achieve your vision and set deadlines to meet those goals. But know there will be times when life interferes and give yourself grace for those moments. Sometimes you just need to take that break and know it is ok. Rest in the assurance of God’s plan and timing.