Don’t Stay in the Car.

Walking with God when showing up feels hard

I pulled into the gym parking lot this week, sat there for a minute… and then left. And not just once. Every day this week.

Not because I don’t care, and not because I don’t want to take care of my body. It’s just that my body has been off. Perimenopause, vitamin deficiencies, that kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix. And then you layer on family stress… sports injuries, waiting on MRI results, the mental weight that just hangs on you all day… and suddenly something as simple as walking into the gym feels like too much.

So I’d sit there with my hands on the steering wheel, talking myself in and then right back out of it. “I’ll tell myself I’d go tomorrow.” Be cause tomorrow always feels like it will be easier.

But today… I didn’t leave.

I went in, and if I’m honest, I didn’t go in feeling strong or disciplined or ready. I went in negotiating. I even took a fake bathroom break just to give myself a minute to breathe and get my head right. It wasn’t pretty, and it definitely wasn’t impressive, but I stayed. And by the end of it, I was so glad I did. Because something shifted. My body responded, my mind cleared, and I felt better.

On the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much this mirrors my spiritual life.

There are seasons where it flows, where opening my Bible or showing up to church or sitting in a small group feels natural and life-giving. And then there are weeks like this one, where I feel mentally worn down, where I’m carrying things I can’t fix, and even the thought of showing up spiritually feels heavy. Those are the weeks where I find myself sitting in the parking lot of my heart…wanting to put it off, telling myself I’ll try again next week.

But I’m learning something I don’t want to forget. The breakthrough doesn’t usually happen in the wanting to. It happens in the walking in.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

The few times I’ve gone anyway, when I’ve walked in tired or distracted or not fully there, those are the moments something real happens. A conversation I didn’t expect, a moment where someone needed prayer, time stretching longer than I planned because God was doing something deeper than I came for.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another…” Hebrews 10:24–25

It reminds me that this isn’t just about me showing up for me. There are things God wants to do in the room, through connection, through prayer, through people. And I don’t say that to pile on the weight of another obligation. I say it because what I’ve found is that when I’m simply available, God shows up with the strength I don’t have.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Some days I don’t feel strong. Some days I don’t even feel willing. But I can still walk in.

And I think that’s where I am right now. I don’t always feel like it, and I’m not my 100% self all the time, but I don’t want to miss what God is doing because I stayed in the car.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is walk in when everything in you wants to drive away.

So if this is you right now… if you’ve been sitting in the car, physically or spiritually, talking yourself out of showing up… this is your gentle nudge.

Just to walk in.

Even if you feel tired.
Even if you feel off.
Even if you don’t feel ready.

Just be available.

Because you don’t have to bring the strength… God already promised He would.

Freebie

And if you need something simple to help you take that first step, I put together a free Walk In Anyway Card for you. It’s just a small, practical guide you can keep on your phone or print out… something to ground you in truth on the days it feels hard to show up.

You can grab it in the Reset Room.

And if this encouraged you, would you share it with a friend? You never know who else is sitting in the car right now, needing the same reminder.

I’d also love to hear from you… which part of this hit home? Or where are you finding it hardest to show up in this season?

You can always reach out through the blog… I’m here, and you’re not doing this alone.

And as always…
live through the lens of His grace. ✨