He Upholds Us

When my one-day-to-be husband and I were in college, I had the bright idea to go on a hike to see a waterfall. It was up a mountain, but we were young and healthy, and it was only about three miles round trip. But when we arrived, a part of the trail was closed. We’d have to go the long way up, meaning six miles round trip.

Still, we hiked. And about two miles in, an excruciating pain in my hip started. I pushed on a while, but with at least a half a mile to go, and I couldn’t anymore. My right hip joint would not lift my leg up. Seriously, I was stuck.  

But instead of letting me turn around and (try to) limp home, my one-day-to-be husband held me up. He dragged, carried, pulled me… he upheld me the rest of the way to see that beautiful waterfall.

This verse always reminds me of that hike as practical imagery for how God upholds us when we are at our end, when we are stuck in grief, sadness, and despair. Have you been there?

I have.

I used to be one of those “pull up your bootstraps and push on” type of people when it came to illnesses like depression. That is, until it happened to me. My sister passed away in 2020 and this, along with other things in life, left me full of utter dismay. I lost too much weight. I didn’t want to go anywhere and when I had to, even to church, I had to put on a façade of normalcy that drained me for days afterward. Those long months are honestly a blur. I was stuck.

But God held me up through my dismay. When I couldn’t move, I leaned on Him heavily as He stepped forward. He sent medical help at the right moment and in the right way because I would have never sought it for myself— frankly, I was too numb to know I even needed it. When I didn’t know what to pray for months on end, He held my hands, and the Holy Spirit prayed for me.

I have more compassion and empathy for those dealing with mental illness than ever before. And more real connections to understand this precious verse.

If you are stuck in dismay, use my ill-fated hike example to remind you of how He’s ready to uphold you up as you take a step forward, one at a time. You need not be afraid. He will carry you out of your sadness if you allow Him access to your pain and despair. 

Questions for Reflection:

1. Is there a time when God upheld you through heartache and pain? Are you in that season now?

2. What are the ways God has held you up?