“You Don’t Always Have to Be Okay”

[Hubi]

 

Maybe we know that moment:

Someone asks us:

“How are you?”

And even though things actually feel completely different inside, we automatically say:

“I’m good, thanks.”

A quick smile.
A little nod.
And we carry on.

But sometimes, we simply don’t feel like smiling.

Sometimes we’re just tired.
Sometimes disappointed.
Sometimes sad.
Sometimes everything feels like too much — and we don’t even really know why.

And that’s exactly when it’s important to remember one simple thought:

You don’t always have to be okay.

We’re not machines.
We have feelings. And feelings change.

There are days when we feel full of strength.
And there are days when we just want to withdraw somewhere and be alone.

That doesn’t make us weak.

Quite the opposite.

It makes us human.

Maybe sometimes we think:

“I’m not allowed to be sad right now. Other people have it much worse.”

Or:

“I have to be strong for everyone else.”

Of course, we don’t want to burden others with our problems. But we don’t have to wear a mask either.

Because Jehovah doesn’t expect us to wear a mask.

We see that beautifully in Psalm 34:18. It says that Jehovah is close to those who have a broken heart.

What a comforting thought!

Jehovah isn’t only with us when we’re happy.
Not only when we have everything under control.
Not only when we appear strong.

He is especially close when our heart is heavy.

Imagine a little boy coming home after a long day.

He doesn’t say anything.

He takes off his shoes, sits down, and simply stares into space.

His father immediately notices:

Something isn’t right.

Maybe he doesn’t even ask many questions.

He simply sits down beside him.

And after a while, the boy moves just a little closer.

No big conversation.
No clever advice.

Just being there.

And perhaps that is sometimes the most beautiful thing we can give another person:

“You don’t have to explain anything right now. I’m simply here with you.”

Isn’t it comforting to know that Jehovah knows us that way too?

He doesn’t just see our smile.

He sees the tear that nobody else notices.

He knows when we’re tired.
He knows when something has hurt us.
He knows when we’re struggling inside, even though everything looks completely normal on the outside.

That’s why we never have to pretend in front of Jehovah.

We can even tell him in prayer:

“Jehovah, I’m not doing well today.”

And maybe the situation doesn’t change immediately.

But something else does:

We no longer have to carry it alone.

And there’s something else that’s important:

When we’re not feeling okay, it doesn’t mean that we are worth any less.

Our worth doesn’t depend on how productive we were today.

It doesn’t depend on how warmly we were able to smile today.

And it certainly doesn’t depend on whether we always appear strong.

Jehovah doesn’t love us only on our good days.

He loves us even on the days when we may barely understand ourselves.

So we can give ourselves permission to simply be human sometimes.

To be sad.
To be exhausted.
To be quiet.

And perhaps today, we need these words ourselves:

“I don’t have to be okay all the time.”

Because if Jehovah won’t let go of me even when I can barely hold on to myself, then I have a reason to hope again.

And this is the thought I would love for us to carry with us, long after this is over:

You don’t have to be strong every day.
You don’t have to smile every day.
You don’t always have to be okay.
But never forget this:
Even on your hardest day,
you are never too much for Jehovah.