Philippians 4:4-7 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.  6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

I remember lots of gritty prayers. Of course, I didn't call them that then, but they were get-to-the-point prayers, like "O God, if you don't help me, I'm toast." 

This morning during my devotion time, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole. As of today, I’ve lived through 3,224 Saturdays—that’s roughly 8.83 years of Saturdays alone. And here I am, stressing about today… trying to get everything done, hoping to make it to bed at a decent hour. It’s only 10 AM, and already my thinking is so small, so narrow, so wrapped up in the immediate.

A few years ago, I found myself driving through Nashville—one of the most challenging cities in America for daily commutes, according to Forbes magazine. And honestly, I believe it. I’m not saying I lost my salvation in traffic that day, but there was definitely some horn honking and maybe a few “urgent suggestions” shouted from the car. Mostly to prevent other drivers from accidentally killing us at 75 miles an hour.

WHAT IS GRITTY FAITH?  The toughest faith possible.  

You want how much for breakfast? Two eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and coffee - $17.99. Ouch! 

I've experienced this in church before.  I get overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which (to me) makes me angry. I was thinking, "Why am I feeling this way? What is going on?" I found myself being overly critical of the service and myself, but I knew there was no reason to. 

My daughter is a ballerina—not the kind you see at a neighborhood recital, but a true professional. She set her heart on this dream at just 9 years old, and now at 21, I can honestly say there’s nothing grittier than the life of a ballerina. They endure pain, pressure, and relentless discipline, all to make the impossible look effortless. I used to think football players were tough—ha! They’ve got nothing on her.