Summer has always been my favorite time of the year. While some people love the brilliant yellows and oranges of the fall, the sledding and the hot chocolate of winter or even the rain and fresh life emerging in spring, I’ve always been a summer girl. I love the feeling of the hot sun kissing my skin, swimming pools, snow cones, county fairs and fresh veggies in my grandmother’s garden. I was raised on a farm, so summer meant being outside, and there was a lot of outside to be in. Fifty acres of fun and adventure in fact. My cousins would come in from Texas and North Carolina in the summer to visit during the family reunion, and this was a great time for exploration. We loved to go up in those hills, pretending to be on missions and to see who was brave enough to swing out on the “grape vines” over the deep ditches along the way.

I remember one summer in particular when we journeyed up the hill laughing, catching up on everyone’s current life events and pointing out the diverse animal tracks along the way. but before we knew it. we had went deeper into the woods than intended. We all stopped and looked at each other, worry creasing our foreheads as we realized all we could see were trees full of thick, green foliage blocking the view of the way back to my grandmother’s house. It was later in the day, and we knew that in only a few brief hours, the sun would set, and we would be trapped within the forest with only darkness and the howling of the coyotes as our companion. We all began to panic, accusing each other of supposedly being the one to keep track of the path and the way home. Suddenly, our arguing ceased as we all had the same idea flash in unison through our brains, and we knew exactly where we needed to go – the High Wall.

The High Wall sits in the back of our woods; it’s a massive rock, the remnant of a once proud hill that fell apart due to erosion, yet still stands tall. We began to scale the side of the giant boulder, struggling to grip at the sparse vegetation that had rooted in tiny plots of dirt against its rough side. After a while, we completed our ascension, brushing ourselves off and wiping sweat and dirt off our faces before we stood up straight and set our gazes forward. What we found before us was a brand new vantage point, and just like that, the situation changed. We now towered over the trees that moments before had towered over us and crowded around us like prison gates.

As we stood atop that giant rock, we saw the peak of my grandmother’s house glowing like a beacon in the golden hour light. We saw the way home, and hope had filled our hearts. The fear of spending the night with coyotes and wrestling raccoons seemed silly and unfounded.

Often, we end up like my cousins and I, walking along our merry way, minding our business and enjoying the sunshine before looking up to see we are surrounded by forests of fear, loss, grief, insecurity, and pain. We begin to panic, feeling lost and hopeless, feeling like we are burning daylight, and soon it will be too late for a deliverance from our situation. We feel our greatest fears manifesting, and there’s nothing we can do to change it. We can grow bitter and accusatory to the people around us, asking why they weren’t watching out for us, or we can even grow bitter to ourselves, ashamed that we didn’t notice we were walking off the path and into dark places like depression and anxiety. I want to encourage you that there is no shame here, and hope is never truly lost for those of us that are in Christ. It’s all a matter of perspective.

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2 NKJV

Jesus is the rock; He is our “high wall,” and when we stand on Him who is the Word, our perspective shifts as we see overtop of what once was overtop of us. Instead, we now see with clarity the way home to our promise, the way of hope. We can see that our pain cannot steal our purpose, our grief can’t compete with His goodness, and our fear doesn’t stand a chance in the light of His faithfulness. When we stand on that word, speaking and praying it, faith rises and overtakes the situation, and suddenly, we see the path of deliverance and the road of redemption. The moment our perspective shifts from the reaction of our flesh to the revelation of our spirit through the Word, we realize that the truth overthrows our circumstance. Before we know it, peace has passed our understanding, and we are standing victoriously on top of our solid rock, rejoicing in the God of our salvation who has made clear He has overcome, and we will make it home.

I pray that today, your hope in Christ and the promises He’s made to you will be restored as you stand on His word and trust His heart. You are loved. You are wanted. You are strong. You are safe. You will not be lost forever. You are on your way to your breakthrough, healing, deliverance, and provision. You are on your way home.

Author | Jessica Haggy

Jessica Haggy is a national preacher, mentor, and blogger. She has been in ministry for 13 years, preaching at multiple conferences, camps, and events. She has dedicated her life to the cause of Christ and preaching His Gospel through as many avenues as possible. She currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky and attends The Kingdom Center Church and is under the covering of Pastors Ronnie and Stephanie Harrison.

Jessica Haggy is a national preacher, mentor, and blogger. She has been in ministry for 13 years, preaching at multiple conferences, camps, and events. She has dedicated her life to the cause of Christ and preaching His Gospel through as many avenues as possible. She currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky and attends The Kingdom Center Church and is under the covering of Pastors Ronnie and Stephanie Harrison. You can find her on Instagram at @jessicaraneehaggy, Jessica Haggy Ministries on Facebook, @jessicahaggy on Twitter, and at her blog, www.truelovelanguage.com.