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Hold Fast

by

I’ve just come home from a women’s retreat. The last time I saw most of these women in person was at last year’s women’s retreat about this time of year. Since then, all of our interaction has been via Zoom or Facebook groups.

Our theme for the year comes from Hebrews 10:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews `10:23-25

The theme of the retreat was “Hold Fast.”

The term hold fast comes from sailing terms. In a storm, you secure yourself first, then help others. Hold fast – secure yourself to the confession of our hope without wavering. For He who promised is faithful. It’s a beautiful, comforting thought as we near an end to an entire year of this pandemic storm.

I was one of the three speakers and I spoke on not forsaking the assembly. Among the points I made in my 45-minute teaching was that we need other people in our lives. God did not intend for us to be alone. He intended for us to be in community with each other.

We read about fasting throughout the Bible. Throughout history, God has called man to fast and pray, and to pray and fast. Christ himself went into the wilderness for forty days and fasted. It’s good, healthy, and holy to fast. But it there is also a time to break the fast and to feast again. To continue to fast would cease to be good, to be healthy, to be holy.  It would become unhealthy, even bad, and eventually, you would die. At the end of forty days, Christ did not continue to fast. Angels came and ministered to him, feeding him food and water, restoring his strength.

Much like fasting, there are times that isolation is required. I have a very isolating job. I sit in my little office in front of a computer screen and, without any kind of human interaction, write for hours on end. In fact, if there is human interaction, it pulls me out of the story in my head that I’m trying to convey onto the screen and it takes me a while to get back to where I was.

I am the introvert’s introvert. Interaction with people actually exhausts me. That’s not just a fable from a meme on social media. I’ve always thought I could take that challenge to go live in one of those bubbles, cut off from people, for a full year and be just fine.

Despite my personal introvertedness, we are designed to be in a community. A year ago today I could have written about this and none of us would have a true understanding of what it’s like to NEED community. Now, a full year since the shut down of much of the world, since the closings of restaurants, the canceling of Bible studies and church services, the limit in holiday gatherings and the way many of us have simply not done anything or not gone anywhere as we waited for a solution to the pandemic, right now at this moment, we ALL know what it means to need community.

It was hard to go to the women’s retreat and not worry about the virus. We all stayed masked. We constantly sanitized. Everything was well ordered.

Once there, I realized how much my soul actually longed for that connection with sisters in Christ. I NEEDED that time. I needed to make eye contact that was real eye contact and not pretend eye contact as I looked at the camera lens instead of the image being projected of someone’s face.

Even speaking on needing community, I wasn’t prepared for the way that being with my friends filled a gaping hole inside of me that I didn’t even know was there.

We’re all ready for a return to normal. In the midst of that, let me encourage you to (safely) discover or rediscover community. Find your people and connect with them. Fill your empty well, even if that connection doesn’t look like it looked a year ago.

Like most people, I long for a time when this is the distant past. When we can think about this pandemic and say, “Remember that time when…”

In the meantime, hold fast. Secure yourself to the confession of our hope without wavering. For He who promised is faithful.

This is my last blog post here on Inspy Romance. I am concentrating on writing romantic suspense novels for the next several years. I will miss this community and will continue to hold you all in my prayers.

Hallee Bridgeman (56 Posts)

With over half a million sales, Hallee Bridgeman is a best-selling Christian author who writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on realistic characters who face real-world problems. Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to heart-stopping exciting and edgy. Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her. Subscribers to Hallee's newsletter get her bestselling contemporary romance COURTING CALLA for free! Sign up by clicking the newsletter icon below or going here: http://www.halleebridgeman.com/newsletter


Comments

  9. I’ll miss you here. Thanks for your encouragement! Paul also said, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Only with Christ can we keep courage! Many good wishes for the rest of your life and good luck with writing your suspense novels!

  14. I am sorry to hear you are leaving Insoy, but I know I will continue to e a part of your new adventures!!

  15. I’ll miss seeing you here, but I’ll keep up with you on FB, your newsletter, and many other places!! Can’t wait to read your new books, though I’ve not yet read ALL of your others, though they’re (most of them!) in my TBR stack!!! Of course, I loved the Dixon brothers series!!

  25. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post. Wishing you the best in everything. God Bless you and your family.

  27. I’m a homebody, but this whole pandemic and not going anywhere except necessary grocery trips is for the birds! I crave human contact and looking fully into someones face without the mask, the hugs from friends & handshakes from people I don’t know as well, fellowship after church sharing a cup of coffee and a few goodies talking about our week, physically getting together to pray and etc. I can’t wait for us to be able to do that again!

    Hallee, I pray God’s best for you in your writing endeavors! We’ll miss you here for sure & I look forward to some new books to read :-)

  30. Wishing you the Best Hallee Can’t Wait to read your New Books! Blessing To You!

  31. Thanks for all you’ve shared here on IR. I’ll look forward to your venture into a different genre.

    Blessings.

  33. Well Hallee, if this is what comes out, I know you will do well in whatever you choose to write in the future. Thank you for all your wonderful posts. Best wishes.

  34. I just finished your Dixon Brothers series last night. It was great! Good luck with your future books!

  35. Again, I was not expecting a second goodbye within the same week, but thank you for parting with such a wonderful reminder! May God bless you in projects, and I can’t wait to read those new books :)

  36. You will be missed. Thank you for sharing your time and your talent. God bless you.

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