Women at the Well: Finding Peace, Patience, and Unity in Christ

Editor’s Note: Women at the Well is an ongoing blog series. Each month, a different woman shares how God is meeting her in her current season of life. Today, we’re thrilled to have Gracie Hogue joining us to talk about her journey as a wife and woman seeking to glorify God through her many hobbies and every life decision.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your vocation, and normal daily routine.

I am 32, and live in a farmhouse in rural Tennessee. My husband and I both work from home since the Pandemic, which has been a huge blessing. In the evenings after work, I love to paint, play fiddle, read, write, sew, garden, and pray (not all these things every evening, except maybe the praying part!). My husband Matthew and I love to go hiking together, or just be at home with our German Shepherd Hawkeye.

If we look closely, we see the hand of God working in our lives. How is Jesus reaching out to you right now, in your current season of life?

Jesus has been so faithful. This past year has been a difficult one personally, as I’ve found out that I have endometriosis and my female parts don’t work how I had always envisioned or dreamt about for my life. I’ve had to go on an anti-inflammatory diet (basically fruits, vegetables, white meat, and some rice) for what may be the rest of my life to help with the endometriosis. So in a season where it feels like there are so many “no’s” – no children, no more bread or sugar, no to a lot of dreams coming true for what I had hoped for in my life and marriage – I have had to take the brokenness to Jesus, and bind it to Him. I am learning to pray with Him in the garden, and say, “not my will, but Yours be done.”

But you know what? I’ve found so much love in that. It has brought a desperation and a thirst for prayer and spending time with Jesus. I have found that when I bind my pain to Jesus, it is sacramental.

It has brought James 1:2 alive in my life: to consider it joy when I face trials because these things drive me to Jesus. In the loneliness and pain of this chapter of my life, I find Him in the garden, praying, and waiting for me to join Him there. And when I come away from those times with the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace, I am made whole and joy replaces the shame or sadness in my heart.

I drink of the Living Water, and I’m reminded that in His great thirst, He brought water to me. I come away knowing that I am beloved to my Lord and my God. Then my heart is open to gratitude, which opens my eyes to the many, many blessings that God has poured out to me.

What truths about yourself has the Lord been revealing in prayer? How does acknowledging these truths in your heart affect your vocation in life?

Ironically, even having a thirst for prayer through these things, prayer and meditation has revealed how distracted I am. Many times during prayer or rosary, I can find my mind drifting onto things that have nothing to do with what I am praying about. But when I realize I’m distracted, I try to bring those distractions to Him and drop them at His feet during the prayer.

Seeing how utterly dissipated I can be when I am trying to spend time with Jesus reminds me even more how much I am in need of His compassion and mercy. Sometimes it just shows me that I need more time there in prayer for Him to wash it all off before I can move forward in my time with Him.

Prayer time brings attention to where my fixations are. Do I actually pray for my “enemies?” Do I faithfully pray for those who have requested prayer? Or are my prayers focused on myself alone?

How has encountering Jesus in prayer radically changed your life? What fruits do you see manifested in your day-to-day that flow from your encounters with Him?

Especially during this chapter of life, I sometimes feel like I have zero control over so much. But I’ve noticed that when I grasp for control or clutch it so tightly that my jaw feels tight, that is when I have the least amount of peace in my heart.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” That requires me to lay down the yoke of control that I have fitted tightly around my tired shoulders and my stiff neck, and pick up His yoke.

I’m finding that His yoke is easy because He’s right beside me, pulling the load with me. Actually, He’s doing most of the work! When I demand control, I demand to carry the weight all by myself, and it’s way too heavy. It’s got an “oversized load” sign on the back because I’m piling everything I can possibly fit onto it that isn’t meant for me to carry. I’m repeatedly plowing the field without planting anything. Whereas, when I take His yoke upon me, we work together to see good things grow. The fruit is peace, patience, and unity with Christ.

It can often be easy to fall into the trap of discontent in our specific vocations. What has been bringing you peace lately? Do you have any habits, hobbies, or self care practices which fills your heart with peace?

There’s a hymn called “Trust and Obey,” and I feel like that hymn has come back to me over and over in the past months. I often get caught up in praying about what feels like big things in the distant future, when God is simply asking me to trust and obey for just the next step in front of me. How can I trust and obey today? This next hour?

I have way too many hobbies and interests, but I love them all because each of them show me a facet of God’s joy and beauty. Painting a bird on a branch reminds me of the little unnoticed things in the world that sing God’s praises whether or not anyone hears them. Gardening reminds me that there are seasons of being pruned back to nothing, and then blooming later into something beautiful. Music reminds me of how important not giving up is in all areas of life. If I do these things for Him, they draw me nearer to Him.

What words of encouragement would you like to pass on to a sister facing the same choices and challenges as you?

Be so committed to loving the Lord that even if He allows you to be stripped of hopes or dreams or comforts, (or anything, really) you love Him and are deeply committed to Him anyway. This doesn’t mean you can’t be angry with Him or question Him sometimes, but do not let those things pull you away from clinging to Him. Pursue Him back because He is pursuing you every day. He loves you so deeply.

Meet Gracie Hogue

Gracie Hogue lives with her husband Matthew in rural northwestern Tennessee, where they love to hike together or play frisbee with their German Shepherd, Hawkeye. She received her BM degree in violin performance in 2012. When she's not working full time, Gracie tries to juggle her many hobbies and interests: she loves to paint, garden, write fiction, read classic British literature, play fiddle, cook/bake, embroider, and quilt.

You can find Gracie on Instagram @graciejhogue

Kara BeckerMay 2, 2022