I love that picture directly above. As I struggled to find artwork that could depict the message I have been crafting from God’s Word alongside the Holy Spirit, this image grabbed me. It was created through AI as I tried to give the right prompt to produce what thick skin and a soft heart look like. It is such a picture of what God does in the waiting as we wonder what the point is of interruptions on the path to our goals.
Notice the chiseled edges, hardened and weathered. But inside is a perfectly shaped heart, soft and protected.
What God longs for
God longs for us to be like Christ, having thick Skin that is not easily offended and a soft heart that continues to love in the face of hardship.
This thick skin is not a hardening of our hearts. And having a soft heart is not denial. The mind of Christ is a picture of this heart, and my new book seeks to capture and unpack what this mind is and how we can walk in it. I cannot wait to get this into your hands.
It has been a full few weeks.
Some of you noticed the silence in your inbox. That silence was not absence—it was focus. Prayer. Tears. Editing. Rewriting. And last Sunday…drum roll please…
I submitted the manuscript for Thick Skin, Soft Heart: Healing Our Broken Relationships with the Mind of Christ (working title).
And I sat in quiet awe.
What God Begins, He Finishes
Because the same God who called me to write it carried me through finishing it.
There were days when the words flowed easily.
And there were days when migraines tried to stop the work.
There were moments of breakthrough.
And long stretches of faithfulness.
This season has reminded me of something simple and profound:
Faithfulness is what we offer. Completion is what God provides.
You may not be finishing a manuscript right now. But you are carrying something.
It could be a calling. A burden. A broken relationship. Health problems.
And perhaps it feels impossible, and you feel unsteady or foolish.
I believe this is how we often feel when we are following God’s calling.
We don’t feel capable, and the struggles of this life distract us from the work He has called us to.
Let this encourage you tonight:
The God who begins good work does not abandon it halfway through.
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” —Philippians 1:6
What God Allows, He Uses
The hard places I had to walk through while writing this book were annoying, if I am honest. They felt pointless.
But those hard places became the very means of inspiration and qualification to carry this message.
What God does in the waiting builds the message and the messenger.
Oh, how grateful I am for those hard places now. God transformed me in them and transformed my words, too.
I had to walk it to write it.
I had to live it to help others, too.
And friend, it was so incredible to see breakthroughs in so many areas.
Not necessarily the healing of all broken relationships, but a perfect peace when relationships are hard.
Submission was not just about a book. It was about obedience. Showing up. Trusting Him when I felt weak. And believing that what He starts, He sustains.
If you’ve felt behind…
If you’ve wondered whether your quiet faithfulness matters…
If you’ve worried that delay means defeat…
It doesn’t.
God is still writing your story.
And He finishes what He begins.
Scripture Reflection
“Though the fig tree does not bud… yet I will rejoice in the LORD.” — Habakkuk 3:17–18
Habakkuk praised before he saw provision. He trusted before circumstances shifted. Sometimes God moves through visible miracles. Sometimes He moves by strengthening us to endure. In every season, our confidence rests not in outcomes but in His character. Whether in waiting or in breakthrough, the Sovereign Lord is our strength.
As you reflect, ask yourself:
- Where have I quietly stopped expecting God to move?
- Is there an ache I have begun to accept as permanent without continuing to bring it to Him?
- Have I been willing to praise God “either way,” even before seeing an outcome?
- If God were to move in my life in an unexpected way, would I recognize it?
🙏 Closing Prayer
Lord, You are the God who moves — sometimes in ways that take our breath away, and sometimes in ways so quiet we almost miss them. Thank You for Your faithfulness in every season. Where we have grown weary, renew our strength. Where hope has dimmed, stir fresh expectancy. Teach us to trust You not only for what You can do, but for who You are. Whether in waiting or in breakthrough, anchor our hearts in Your goodness. And may our lives reflect gratitude, humility, and unwavering faith. Amen.
Visit the ShameRx Blog for What God Dismantles in the Waiting
All for Jesus,
Denise