Dealing With Tough Days – Yesterday lasted a week – but Jesus remains !

Dealing with Tough Days

Pastor Calvin Cook –

September 16, 2025

Yesterday was a tough day. I realized that it was Monday, but it was still a tough day. I really can’t go into many of the details, but it was almost like riding a roller coaster. There were some really highs and lows.

I tend to not be a doom and gloomer person. I really do like to look at the silver lining on every dark cloud but yesterday and its struggles and challenges was extraordinary.

As I did my nighttime wrap up, a recent pod cast that I heard with Bishop Mark Webb was exactly the words that I needed to bring some comfort and closure to an usual day. Bishop Webb was sharing that his end of the day practice was to read and pray through John 15. As I was drawn to John 15:5 these words spoke to me “ I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

I prayed – “Lord did I remain connected to you today in everything I encountered.” “Lord did I leave you and your teachings care for me or did I follow my own way.” “Did I become distracted by the what ifs instead of focusing on the what for ?”

This time in prayer reminded me that my efforts, no matter what those efforts might be, are futile and powerless without Him. In everything I am going through, regardless of popular comment, or my own ideas and agenda, I must keep focused on Jesus. My strategies may fail, my plans may unravel, but God’s presence never fails.

One thing to surely learn – that no one, regardless of how close you are to another, knows the inner turmoil in each other’s soul. And quite honestly it feels sometimes like no one cares. I think that is what I experienced the most from others – in observation, in words, that there are those who feel no one cares. That is where we have to become more Christ like, not sympathizing with sinfulness, but being Christ like in every way, to show a better way. Even when the situation is volatile and dangerous we are still called to be faithful.

So may we stand at the dawn of a new day. Knowing that we must be willing to expect the unexpected, but the one thing that has to happen is to be connected. To be connected, so that when we come out of every harmful and hurtful situation, we can stand high and proclaim – “this is all because of Jesus.”