So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” Genesis 32:24-28 | NIV84

Sometimes we must take a “Sabbatical” from life to work on who we are internally; from the inside out. At times life can become so overwhelming that we are crushed under its weight. We are broken by its burdens, sorrows and unrelenting anguish.

Being broken hurts emotionally, physically and spiritually. Being broken takes time to mend and heal. Sometimes when we are broken, we don’t go back together like we once did. A part of us has changed forever…kind of like when Jacob wrestled with God. Before the sun rose Jacob demanded for God to bless him. God did, but in the process, He touched Jacob’s hip socket, changed his name to Israel and Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life. Jacob’s life was forever changed and if you want to get technical, because of his perseverance so did ours.

So, in challenging times, it’s important to stay close to God, wrestle with Him with all of your strength, with all of your heart and ask for His blessing, so when you are done… you can be put back together with His special touch to forever, not only change your life, but more importantly, help to change the lives of others.