Tag: love

The Thing That Hurts Us

Are you really angry at someone right now? Did someone hurt you deeply? Here is some advice and encouragement as to how to heal your heart.

I was recently doing a Bible study with some friends, and the message for that week was about how important our thoughts are to our well-being. Not only that, but to our relationship with God.

If you’ve ever struggled with loneliness, anxiety, depression, or stress, I’m sure you can agree that those intrusive thoughts that bombard our minds seem to take over our lives.

But I think something that people don’t often associate with our mental health is anger. Anger can easily take over our lives and destroy our relationships. Not only that, but it can destroy our mental well-being too.

I think it’s interesting, in a sad way, that our society seems to glorify being angry.

“Oh, you’re angry at that side? Excellent, that means that you are the best supporter for us.”

“You’re mad that this person won? Go fight for your beliefs!”

People often support their anger with the story of how Jesus turned tables over in the temple. “If Jesus was angry, then we can be angry too!”

Being angry is natural. But it doesn’t mean we should stay angry, and it does mean that we need to pay attention to what we are doing with our anger. When Jesus expressed His anger over the injustices going on in His city, He did not hurt people with His anger. I think that’s a good question to check ourselves with. When we are doing ____ because we are angry, does that hurt anyone?

The next thing to think about is, where is the root cause of this anger? Is it hurt? Frustration? Something unrelated to the thing you’re fueling your angry energy towards?

Jesus spoke against the rulers that were harming people’s relationship with God. Jesus was frustrated by the unfairness and lies being spread. He was standing up for truth.

I’m going to admit something to you right now. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been very angry at a couple people in my life. I didn’t want to feel hurt, so instead I fueled my energy towards thinking negative thoughts about them. I wanted to feel powerful, powerful enough to be in charge of my feelings.

But then I came across this verse, and it frightened me.

“In your anger, do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Ephesians 4:26-27

Whoa. Okay, just take a moment with me here to think about this. When we are angry, we allow the devil to work through us. That is certainly frightening, isn’t it? That means that instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to be the One guiding us, we are allowing our enemy to take over. That’s such an incredible loss. That means we gave over to our real permanent enemy, not just the temporary one we’ve found in a friend, relative, or random internet stranger.

Then, as I kept reading, I was struck by this additional verse.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirt of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Ephesians 4:30

When we are angry, we hurt God.

I know a lot of times we think we are just hurting the other person when we think angry thoughts about them or when we seek revenge. But the thing is, we are hurting everyone involved– ourselves, the other person, and God. God is involved in our daily lives, which means He knows when we are upset. He understands when we are hurt, but instead of letting our pride get in the way, we need to come to Him and express the deep pain we are feeling.

Because, let’s face it. We are angry because we allowed ourselves to become vulnerable enough to trust someone, and they blew it. They might’ve betrayed your trust in numerous ways. It could be taking the opposite side on an issue you’re passionate about. Maybe they told someone something personal about you that ruined your reputation. Perhaps they didn’t show up in your life the way you thought they would–maybe even in a way they previously promised they would.

Friend, it’s totally normal and okay to be upset when someone does terrible things to us. Or even not-so-terrible things that still hurt us.

But we can’t stay stuck in those feelings. We have to forgive them.

Because if we don’t forgive them, we are losing our battle against the evil in this world. We are allowing our lives to be run by our anger instead of our love.

So today, if there’s someone you need to forgive, even if it’s just in your heart, please do it. It will change your life.

When I took that step to forgive those people, my life didn’t change over night. But I did feel an overwhelming sense of peace and a burden lifted off my shoulders. And the next time I am hurt by someone, I will have to remind myself that no matter how hard it is, I shouldn’t make the hurt worse by allowing resentment to take over.

Instead, let us both place those feelings in God’s hands and move on with our lives.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James 1:19-20

Forward

Having trouble letting go of someone? Here is some advice and encouragement.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but…

It’s okay to move forward. It’s okay to move on. It’s not mean.

If you needed to hear that, then someone probably came to mind. Perhaps an old friend, an ex, a person from your past that hurt you. But you were close, and you don’t want to let go.

Maybe everyone close to you has told you that you need to let go. That it would be the best thing for your mental health. That you deserve better.

And if you’re at the stage where you know that letting go is better for you, then you agree. You know that you are a child of God, born to love and to be loved back.

But something is stopping you. Something is in your path, denying you the chance to move on.

Perhaps you didn’t get the closure that you needed.

Let me tell you, I lived with the lie–that false belief that plagues our media obsessed society– that we have to get closure in order to move on. Then, literally a couple days ago, a post by a psychology expert changed my life.

To paraphrase, her post went something like this: I don’t know who gave you the idea that you have to get closure in order to move on. Maybe it was all those romance movies or books, the way the media likes to make us feel like we’re the anomaly…but the thing is, so many of us don’t get closure. And if we do, then we still have questions afterwards. There’s never going to be that moment that the other person makes for us where we suddenly lose that love and feel as free as a bird soaring through the sky. But the thing the media doesn’t tell us is that those movies are all fiction. Our lives are our own. We are the only ones who can give ourselves the freedom to move on and enjoy life again.

To add to that, from a Christian perspective, yes, we are the only ones who can bring closure. Except, we can’t do it alone. Jesus is there and He knows what it’s like to feel rejected, abandoned, and betrayed–by His own loved ones! His disciples! He does completely understand how we feel and He is the only one who will never leave us.

Here’s some tough love. You’re not going to get closure.

You’re not.

Not in the way you expect, anyway. Oh sure, you might have a good long talk. You might even part ways as the sun is setting behind the mountains as joyful tears fall from your face. But that’s never going to be enough.

The only way to feel fully content is to find your joy and satisfaction in Jesus. The only way to not be lonely is to surround yourself with God’s love, by praying continually and reading the Bible, not to mention staying in close contact with others who encourage and support you.

You might feel like a mean person for moving on, and I get that. I get all of these feelings.

But the thing is, you are making the choice to move on from this person because they hurt you. Because they weren’t good for you. Because you know deep down in your heart that the Holy Spirit (plus your best friends) told you that it’s time to let go.

So, if you feel like moving on means that you’re still in contact, but just not relying on them, then fine. If moving on means that you’re blocking them for your own sanity, then alright. If moving on means simply having that freeing feeling in your heart and not thinking about them anyone, then good.

Moving on isn’t the same for everyone. But ultimately it means that this person isn’t your whole world anymore. They aren’t going to be consuming your thoughts, bogging you down, or making you feel less than who God says you are.

Moving on means that you’re free. You can finally be who God created you to be without other people getting in the way of that.

I know it’s hard, but I also know you can do it.

Don’t give up.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that tis to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

Leaving the Past Behind Us

Do you have trouble letting go? Here is some encouragement.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten so much out of the “Luke Challenge” this year. If you haven’t heard of it, basically the goal is to read one chapter of Luke every day starting from December 1st until Christmas Eve, since there are 24 chapters in Luke. The point is to celebrate Jesus and learn more about His time on Earth. Jesus has a different message for each of us this year, and it’s important to spend time reflecting on His legacy and on what He’s taught us in 2020.

Anyway, I have felt very convicted multiple times during this challenge, and I’m only through chapter 9! But last night’s in particular stuck out to me. I’ll share the passage below. It’s titled in some translations “The Cost of Following Jesus”.

As they were traveling across the road someone said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”

But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”

Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say goodbye to those at my house.”

But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:57-62

Ok, first of all, let’s just take a pause for a moment and really let those words soak in.

Wow.

I will be the first to admit that I am horrible at letting go. Letting go of what, you might ask? Literally everything. People, possessions, dreams– even when I know something else is better for me. There are so many points made in this chapter, but I’m going to focus on the point Jesus makes about being willing to let go in order to follow Him.

When I first read this passage, I thought, “Wow, Jesus, you’re sure being harsh on them for not even letting them say goodbye to their families or even bury their loved ones.” But the more I thought about it, I think the point Jesus is trying to make is different than just our surface level assumptions.

Jesus is not necessarily (I’m not going to speak on His behalf of course) saying that you have to suddenly ditch everyone and be irresponsible. In fact, God is described as being faithful several times in the Bible, and we should be faithful as well. He is also not trying to tell us to not love others enough to even say goodbye or to not honor the dead.

Personally, I believe that Jesus is trying to emphasize that while we should love others and be loyal, nothing can come between Him and us. When we agree to follow Jesus, we change completely. We are a whole new person with a whole new life. And when we get so focused on our past lifestyle, then we can’t truly move forward with doing what Jesus commands us to do. We can’t have it both ways; we have to pick either our old way of living or follow Jesus and love Him with our entire heart.

I know how challenging it can be to let go of something, especially if we thought at one point that it was meant for us. But we can’t let our dreams, possessions, or even others come in between us and God. We simply cannot truly live for God with one foot in our old life and one foot in the new. It just doesn’t work like that, no matter how much we want it to.

Today, I challenge you to take a step back and reflect on the areas of your life where you may be living as your old self instead of your new self. Stop dwelling on the past, whether it’s mistakes you made long ago or dreams that didn’t come true for you. You are a whole new person now, and those chains do not have to hold you down any longer. Is there anything in your life coming between you and Jesus? A relationship? A job? A habit you simply can’t break?

This is one of the hardest things we can do– letting go. Not only that, but admitting we’ve done wrong in the first place can be difficult too. But it’s so important. Neglecting our need for growth is one of the biggest things that separates us from God.

I’ll be taking this challenge with you and checking in later to see where we’re at. For now, I pray that you can grow closer to God through this season.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Loving God Through Trusting Him

Is there something God’s placed on your heart that you are afraid to do?

I was watching a movie last night, a Christmas rom-com, which I would not recommend because it was pretty much a waste of time 🙂 However, I did get a lot out of one scene from it that inspired me for today’s Encouragement Thursday.

One of the main characters was trying to figure out if her coworker and best friend loved her, and she asked her father how he knew her mother was the one. He replied that she was willing to face her biggest fear for him. If you are willing to face your fears for someone else, then you love them.

This got me thinking. There are so many verses in the Bible about trusting God, but I don’t think we realize that it’s an act of worship. When we listen to God and do what He tells us to–acting on our faith–we are proving to God that we love Him.

So if we are too afraid to do what God tells us to, then do we truly love Him?

I’ve been thinking about that question a lot over the past couple days. I think we can certainly love God while having doubts. But I think the way to truly show God that we love Him is by doing what He commands. Sometimes God commands us to do things that we don’t want to do, or even worse, that we are afraid to do. But that doesn’t mean we have an excuse not to do them. It just means that we need to call out to God and ask for His peace and strength to overflow within us so that we can do what He asks.

God wants to help us. He wants us to become the people He created us to be. But that requires us to do our part, too. We need to ask God each day to help us listen to Him and to renew our faith. We also need to be willing to stop sitting around questioning whether or not we should do something and instead jump up and just do it.

I know that what I’m suggesting isn’t easy. I have a lot of trouble doing what God tells me to sometimes. But trusting God is vital for our spiritual growth. It helps us develop an even deeper love of God when we trust Him with EVERYTHING. Our relationships, our health, our finances, our future, our everything.

So today, think about something that God has been telling you to do, but you’ve been too afraid to do it. It’s not too late. God is patient and He knows that you may have needed some assurance before taking this leap of faith. Pray about it and allow God’s peace to fill you. Then, go out and do it. 🙂

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:3

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

James 2:17

God of the Impossible

Are you in an impossible situation right now? Turn to God and He will take care of you. Nothing is impossible for God.

I am currently attempting to read the entire Bible (hopefully in a year, but we’ll see!) and for the last couple days, I’ve been reading the story of Abraham and Sarah. I think most of us learned about them and all God’s promises for them when we were kids in Sunday School, but I’ve really been thinking more deeply about their story during this particular rereading.

They were going through their own trials by being promised that their line would fill the nation and be God’s chosen people, yet they couldn’t have children. They even came face to face with the Lord when He and two angels visited them in human form, yet they couldn’t believe that God would fulfill His promises because they had been praying and hoping for so long with no success. Yet God continued to do His good work despite all their mistakes and in the end the impossible happened.

Are you going through a season of life where many things feel impossible? Perhaps a person you care about is ill, you are in a difficult financial situation, or a relationship isn’t working out. Whatever you do, don’t give up on God.

Sometimes it feels like the entire world is crashing around us and we have no hope, no future. We feel like shutting down and trying to hold on tightly to what we do have. We feel like our hopes and dreams will never been fulfilled.

Well, I have some amazing news for you. If you line up your desires with God, then He promises to do the impossible and give you a purpose. That doesn’t mean that God is your servant and you can demand things from Him or that you should be disappointed if things don’t go the way you want. Rather, you can have hope when life gets difficult because God can turn any situation around into something incredible.

Nothing comes between God and His love for us. He is ultimately in control of the entire world and all that happens. Your impossible situation isn’t impossible for God. He’s holding you and this situation in the palms of His hands. He is in control.

So today, if you are feeling weighted down by all that is going on in your life, remember that the One we serve and love is taking care of us. God won’t let anything come between you and what’s meant for you.

“The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Luke 18:27

Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 18:14

What You Already Have

Are you struggling to make sense of the season of life you are in right now?

I know that I talk about this a lot, but in a world full of fear, anxiety, stress, and comparison, it’s important to put life in perspective for a moment.

Don’t forget about what you already have. Don’t waste the season that you are in right now.

I’m currently towards the end of a Bible study about trusting God through different seasons of life. One key topic really stuck out to me. The best part of the journey is not the end destination, but rather how you are growing closer to God and as a person on your way to that destination. (Terkeurst)

The thing is, we are always so focused on the next best thing. We hear about a social gathering and we start fretting over whether or not we will be invited. We get a new job and already start wondering if we will get a promotion. We meet a new person and suddenly wonder what they can do to better our lives.

But the issue with that kind of thinking is that we are too focused on two things.

  1. Our plan over God’s plan
  2. Not appreciating what we already have

Our Plan Over God’s Plan Will Lead to Heartbreak

When we think that we know better than the One who created the entire world with everyone’s best interests in mind, we start believing that we are better than God.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. When you prayed last night that God would give you that new job, new relationship, or magically make everything work out the way you wanted it to, you were not actively thinking that you were better than God. But the truth is, that’s what we are telling God when we want Him to go along with our plans instead of us trusting what He has already planned for us.

You see, regardless of our attitudes, God’s plan will happen. But if we think positively and work through these seasons willingly, we will have so much more fulfillment than if we drag our feet through the whole process. And who knows, if you start wondering how God will use this season of your life instead of just dreading every part of it, you may find new opportunities that are even better than what you hoped for.

Two beings are harmed when we go along with our own plan instead of God’s.

That would be you and God.

Your heart will be so much more fragile if you only feel loved by the people you accept and if you only feel satisfied when things go your way. But if you keep an open mind when God tells you “no”, and actually celebrate God thinking ahead and closing a door for you so that you don’t travel down the wrong path, then you won’t ever have to experience that dark place that we can so often find ourselves in when relying on our own strength.

But you will not only break your own heart when you follow your own plan. God’s heart will break too. He loves you so much that He died for you, and when you don’t trust Him even after all He has done for you, then how do you think that makes Him feel? Like you don’t love Him or trust Him despite how He believes that you handle whatever comes your way.

The Penalty for Not Having Gratitude

You might have read that title and thought…huh? I don’t want to feel guilty today! I’m not ruining someone else’s life by not feeling grateful!

And you’re right, in some respects. This isn’t to make you feel guilty. We all struggle with complaining and having trouble seeing life in the “big picture”.

But the one you are hurting, my friend, is yourself, when you don’t appreciate the season of life you are in right now. You will miss out on so many opportunities that God is placing in your heart if you are only focused on the future. When you look back years later, wouldn’t you like to think that you made the most of every season of life you’re in? And who knows, this season may end up being more fruitful than you expect.

Best of all, if this feels like a season of waiting for you, then you have the opportunity to really focus on your relationship with God. You never have to wait to do that! Spend some time with Him today and think about where He might be guiding you.

Today, I hope that you can feel encouraged that God has an amazing plan for you, no matter what the world tells you. God wants to use you in incredible ways, you just have to listen and trust. Every day is a fresh start, so mark today as a new beginning for you. A new path that will take you closer to God and will help you remember that no matter what life throws at you, you are not in this alone.

The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

But I Thought God Promised…

What does God really mean when He says He will give us the desires of our hearts?

Sorry for a bit of a late post for today’s Encouragement Thursday! I’ve had a recurring thought come to mind and I decided it would inspire this week’s post, despite the fact that I didn’t get the idea by being encouraged from someone else. I actually think this is a reminder that God’s been placing on my heart because I really needed to hear it this week.

Take a look at this verse:

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:5

I’m sure many of you have read this verse and felt your heart swell with joy and contentment, until…you didn’t get what you wanted.

Then you came to God in anger, frustration, defeat, or maybe all of the above. You said to God, “I thought you promised to give me what I wanted if I trusted you and praised you. Why didn’t things work out the way I planned?”

I think we’ve all been there, in that place, wondering why God didn’t “come through” for us. But the thing is, many of us just haven’t interpreted this verse correctly. Yet, it can still be a source of encouragement for us, just in a different way.

You see, God is always going to do what’s best, even if we don’t understand why. And just because you desire something doesn’t mean it’s what’s best in the long run. We don’t know the future, only God does, so really, we should only want what God wants because He’s the only one who can have everyone’s best interests in mind.

In addition, we often like to take verses out of context, don’t we? That’s okay, I’ve done it plenty of times. But it’s important to read around the verse too.

The following verse says this:

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:

 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Psalm 37: 6-7

The key to God’s promise in these verses is that if we are following God and placing our lives in His hands, He will make sure our patience, trust, and obidence is not in vain. He will make sure that our lives are used to bring others closer to Him and He will fill us with His love and mercy. And of course, in the end, we will spend the rest of eternity in Heaven with Him.

Isn’t that an even better gift than getting that short-term dream fulfilled?

God never leaves us empty-handed. But we need to be willing to do our part and not expect the Creator of the Universe to do whatever we ask simply because we believe it’s what’s right.

If you trust God and ultimately desire His will to be done, then you will get the desires of your heart.

So today, think about what you desire in life. Are your desires following along with what God has told you in the past? Are you upset at God because He didn’t do what you asked?

I know it’s hard to understand God sometimes (okay, a lot of the time). But it’s important to think “big picture” about life. We really don’t know what’s ahead, but we don’t have to be afraid because God is in control. We just have to trust Him and commit our lives to Him. And in the end, it’s worth the wait.

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lordweighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:1-3

Don’t Waste the Waiting

Are you in a season of waiting? Here’s some encouragement!

The time in which I thought God was not moving was actually the time He was moving in my heart.

-Lysa Terkeurst (What Happens When Women Walk in Faith)

I’ve seen the message, “Don’t waste the waiting”, pop up in my life repeatedly over the past several months.

I’m currently taking a psychology class, and we were recently discussing the idea of “nature vs nurture”. I think by nature I want to be laid back and just let things happen, but because of the way I was raised, I always need to be getting things done, or else I feel unsatisfied. I absolutely hate wasting time.

Now, part of that is actually really good. I would probably get into a vicious cycle of letting each day slide by without doing anything if it weren’t for the values of hard work and productiveness being ingrained in me. But as you can see, God telling me to wait would probably cause me to start panicking. I often worry that I’m missing out on something when I’m waiting. I feel stuck.

But as I’ve come to learn recently, when God calls us to wait, He is NOT telling us to sit idly by and allow that to be our excuse for not getting things done. Actually, the waiting period can be one of the most productive and crucial times of our lives.

That’s because the waiting period is where God is preparing us to become our best selves, the person that is ready for the gift at the end of the waiting. Whether you’re waiting for a breakthrough in your career, a romantic relationship, even being able to fulfill your calling in life, don’t waste this season of waiting.

You can use this time to grow closer to God by journaling, praying, and reading your Bible regularly. I know I give that advice a lot, but those are the main ways I grow closer to God, and I know they have worked for many others. Those are the main ways we can hear directly from God. In addition, reach out to others in the same season of life, or even those who are farther along, so that they can encourage and support you. God has placed people in your life for a reason, and even if they let you down sometimes, don’t allow those feelings of disappointment overshadow all the blessings they have brought you. Our community is there to equip us to reach our full potential and pursue God’s calling in our lives.

Waiting isn’t easy, that’s for sure. But it doesn’t have to be an unproductive period of time. And you don’t have to frantically read the entire Bible all in one sitting, hoping that this season will pass quicker. Enjoy the waiting. Enjoy this time that you get to focus on personal growth and on your relationship with God. Don’t just focus on yourself during this time. God wants to use you through every season of life, so go out and find ways to be of service to others.

Give your friend a phone call spontaneously. They may be really encouraged.

Spend some time writing to older members of your community. They love handwritten cards!

Go for a walk and listen to uplifting music. That will give you time to reflect and restart before the beginning of a new week.

I know that this time of being isolated is difficult. Despite there being more opportunities for both virtual and in-person community now than back in the spring, it’s still hard being socially distanced and worrying about spreading a deadly disease by being around people.

But you can still be a blessing without having life go back to normal yet. Now more than ever do people need you to be there for them.

And if you are ever feeling burned out and lonely, remember that God will always be there for you. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

So today, trust God during this time of waiting. Remember that where you are right now is where you are meant to be. God has an amazing purpose in store for you, and He wants you to use this season of waiting in order to become the person you are meant to be. Don’t waste the waiting.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

Psalm 62:5

Thank You

Happy One Year Anniversary to this blog! How have you changed over the course of the year?

Today is my one year anniversary of posting on this blog! Thank YOU for being amazing. I hope this has been an encouragement to you, because that is the sole purpose of this blog, to spread encouragement and remind you of God’s love.

As I may have mentioned before, the day I started this blog was rough. It was actually the day after one of the worst nights of my life. I’m the type of person to bottle everything up inside, and it pretty much all exploded that day.

I’ve realized why I was so broken. It was because I was putting my faith in people and in circumstances. I was too afraid of losing what I had instead of focusing on what had been given to me in that moment.

I struggle a lot with really staying in the moment. I would say that I’m generally optimistic, but I do worry a lot about the future and about my relationships. I think that things will only get better if _____ happens.

But I need to stop.

And remember.

I have everything I need already.

And so do you.

You may not feel that way at all, and a lot of the time, I don’t either. But it’s true. God never gives us anything too big for us to handle when we have Him by our side. He can turn any situation around in ways we can’t even fathom. That’s what ended up happening with two of the things I had been so stressed about a year ago.

One of those things had to do with an important person in my life. I was worried that we would drift apart, and although that kind of happened for a season, we ended up becoming closer than we had been originally over the course of a few months. I just had to be patient.

For the other thing, I thought that we were going to have to put my dog down, who was my best friend and closest companion, the only one I ever really shared my emotions with. Well, God spared him for several more months, and because of that scare, I was able to actually celebrate those months and make the most of my time with him.

God allows us to go through difficult days, months, seasons, even years. But He promises us that we are never alone during those times. And in the end, I think you’ll realize why God allowed you to go through those hardships. It’s so hard to think ahead when we’re still in the eye of the storm. But if you keep your eyes on God and allow His peace to flow through you, then however long it takes will be worth it.

In the moment, those few months felt like eternity. But looking back, so much has changed in the course of a year. I’m still here, even when I doubted it sometimes. Life has changed very drastically for all of us, I’m sure.

But there’s one thing that doesn’t change, and that’s God. He will always be our source of perfect love, perfect stability, and perfect justice.

So today, if you have the chance, think back to where you were a year ago today. Have you changed as a person? How have your difficulties over the course of a year actually brought you closer to God?

And remember, there is so much to be thankful for. I guarantee that if you stop and really think about who you love, how God has blessed you, even in the small areas of life, that you’ll feel a bit more joyful.

Thank you for one year! Treat yourself to something sweet and virtually celebrate with me! 😉

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17

Didn’t Get to Say Goodbye

Encouragement Thursday: You can still have peace, even if you didn’t get to say goodbye.

When you have to say goodbye to the way things used to be, may you learn to trust above everything, you are free to know peace (even without the closure you thought you would need).

-Morgan Harper Nichols

I’m definitely the type of person who longs for closure, that last goodbye. I want there to be a happy memory, but also something that made it final for me that things were over. I’ve been reflecting on this idea, especially since a week ago I didn’t get the closure on a particular season of life that I was longing for. I think the reason I struggle with needing closure, despite perhaps an innate human desire for it that we all have, would be the fact that a lot of my relationships have ended abruptly. I lost people without even realizing it until it was too late. I’m a very relational person, and I’m going to be honest, one of my biggest fears is losing people (whether figuratively or physically). So the fact that I’ve gone through this several times with people I’ve really cared about has weighed heavily on me and has affected my mindset.

You may be struggling right now with saying goodbye to someone, something, or some symbol of the way things used to be. We all have had to make a lot of adjustments recently, what with COVID-19, along with different issues our world is facing. Maybe you’re dealing with a lot of fear right now about the future.

I have been in that same place, and I know I may sink back there again. But I have to keep reminding myself, just as I hope I’m reminding you now, that it’s okay to be at peace when things change. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you can feel satisfied.

You know why?

Because you already have everything you need to keep going. God will fill you with the strength, joy, and motivation to find new opportunities. All you need to do is ask Him. And I’ve found it especially helpful to journal my feelings and read encouraging Bible verses, devotionals, or posts when I’m needing to find that strength again.

But just because you can have peace and contentment now, despite all you’ve lost, doesn’t mean you have to act like nothing has changed. You don’t have to keep that brave face on when you really want to expose your more sensitive side. It’s perfectly normal, in fact healthy, to grieve these losses in your life. That’s the only way you can eventually be ready to move on. But the process can be slow, and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean you’re weak or overly sensitive. It just means that you’re human and that you’re willing to go through the difficult process of growing into the person you’re meant to be.

So today, take some time to reflect on what’s holding you back from fully experiencing peace. If you need to cry, then cry. If you need to call an encouraging friend, then call them. If you need to take a break and just be alone with God, then take the time to do that. You deserve it. In fact, you owe it to yourself and your relationship with God and with others to allow yourself the freedom to express yourself and just breathe.

No matter who or what you’re grieving right now, your feelings are valid. But remember that they are not what make you who you are. They are not what defines you. Only God is the One who can truly tell you who you are.

And He says that you are valuable, loved, worthy, cherished, His precious child, and so much more.

You’re going to be okay. ❤

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens…

  a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 4