A few weeks ago I had a really hard week. Circumstances made life feel truly heavy and I was challenged all week to not be dragged back into survival. I fought against it, doing all the things.

I won. I continued to thrive and not go back into survival mode

It was a fight though!

However, in the midst of all of that I needed a hug so badly from another adult. I cried. I wrote about it in my journal. I told Father.

Then the thought came to me that part of self care is asking for what I need. The old insecurities started flooding in, everyone is busy, they will think less of me because of the struggles I am dealing with, I shouldn't bother them they are busy, I should be able to deal with this on my own. All lies, all meant to keep me in isolation. I didn't allow them to continue, I stopped them in their tracks and made my move to get the support I needed.

I had to decide who to ask for a hug, once I decided on the friend to ask I text her and said "I need a hug, can I come over?"
Her response was, "I need one, too, come over." That hug made all the difference in my day and week. Knowing that another human loved me enough to be willing to hug me through the pain, even though she doesn't know what I was dealing with that day or week, she was willing to share in it by giving me a hug and letting me know I wasn't alone no matter what it is I was dealing with.

That is the kind of people to have as friends and as part of your support system. They don't ask questions, are ready to listen when you are ready to share and just love you no matter what. YET, they will also speak truth into you. Kindly with love.

Being able to ask for what you need quickly without overthinking it, is a sign of thriving.

Find these kinds of people for your support system, people that will be there for you.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

How good are you at asking for what you need?
What prevents you from asking for what you need?