Tag: love

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

Their Victory Can Be Your Victory

Are you struggling with jealousy right now? Always remember that their purpose is not your purpose. You can celebrate others without comparing them to yourself.

“Her purpose is not your purpose.”

@Shelivespurposefully

“Just because you’re happy about her success doesn’t mean you won’t get yours. So celebrate with her! Don’t create a competition that doesn’t exist.”

Unknown

I’ve seen quotes of this nature so many times on Instagram these days, and I’m just hoping that I can really live it out. Jealousy, that green-eyed monster, has gotten the better of me countless times. But the truth is, the one it’s really hurt is me. It’s caused me to miss out on what’s right in front of me, and even worse, it’s caused me to harbor resentment towards others, either people I hardly know or even close friends.

We never really know what’s going on in other people’s lives. We don’t know what their story is, or what it took, all the failures along the way, to get where they are today. A lot of us are more private than we let on, not wanting people to know our past. And sometimes, that’s okay. But we also have to realize that others are like that too, and they only want us to see the good side of them. The victory at the end of the long, hard, brutal battle.

When we compare ourselves to others, we aren’t measuring things equally. It’s not a fair competition. We are comparing everything about one person (ourselves) and only a partial chapter of another’s story, likely the climax or the resolution. We are never on the exact same part of life as someone else when it comes to personal growth. So why are we expecting our lives to suddenly be figured out when our friend or an influencer’s life takes a dramatic change?

You have a purpose. An extraordinary purpose that no one else on Earth can fulfill.

But beloved, your purpose is not the same purpose as the person next to you. It’s not the same as your roommate, your sibling, your best friend, or even your partner.

It’s all uniquely yours.

But their victory can be your victory. You can celebrate when your friend gets that promotion, your cousin buys that new house, or your neighbor finally has the means to purchase that item you’ve both been eyeing. It’s not a race. It’s not a competition. What is meant for you will be given to you.

The same goes for that particularly touchy subject…relationships.

This one is hard for me to write and follow.

Even that person that you like, or even love, but aren’t in a relationship with, can be someone you celebrate. Even if they end up with someone else. Because they if they aren’t with you, then they weren’t meant for you. You have someone even better suited for you in your future.

Even if your best friend just got into a healthy relationship and you have been single your whole life. You can be happy for her without getting into a relationship yourself or being in that same stage of life. You just haven’t met the perfect person yet. God’s sparing you the heartbreak.

Even if you feel like everyone else in the world has their person (which they don’t… and if you think about it, you’ll realize you probably are in good company being single) you can still celebrate. You are loved by the most powerful, loving, and faithful being in the universe– God. You don’t have to be loved by some person in order to be cherished, worthy, valuable, and enough. You don’t have to be defined by a relationship. You are God’s precious creation no matter what.

So today, encourage others who you may have been envious of earlier. And I know it’s hard. I struggle with jealousy all the time, so this post is for my own benefit as much as yours. But also realize that there is so much more ahead of you that you can celebrate, and hopefully those same people you’re celebrating right now will be able to join you when it’s your turn in the limelight.

You have such a wonderful future ahead of you, and those storms, doubts, and tough situations are only here to make you stronger. You can do this. I believe in you, and more importantly, God believes in you too.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

God Gives Us

God’s love will sustain us even when we feel alone.

Today is National Encouragement Day! So, of course I had to share something that hopefully you find as encouraging as I did today 🙂

I personally find little kids to be a great source of honesty, joy, and a reminder about both the deep and simple parts of life. I was babysitting a little girl this morning, and we were making a craft project taken from a previous Sunday school class. It was a musical shaker that had paired along with a lesson about giving thanks and worshiping God.

After the little girl had a satisfied smile on her face, putting the cap back on her marker after decorating the paper plate Tamborine with crowns and hearts, she studied mine for a moment.

“What does this say?” She asked, pointing to my example.

“It says ‘God gives us’.” I replied. “Then I wrote things that God gives us, like love, joy, and hope.”

“I want mine to have those words too. Can you help me spell them?”

I smiled. “Sure.” Soon, she had found a new marker and spelled out “God gives us”. After that, she decided she didn’t want to do the words the same way I had.

Turning to me for a moment, tilting her head, she asked, “Could you tell me how to spell ‘hope when love is gone’?”

My eyes widened in surprise, since this seemed like an odd statement for a five-year-old to want to write on her craft project. But the more I’ve been thinking about it, the more I’ve realized how profound those words truly are.

We’ve all had a time where we’ve felt betrayed, unloved, or unappreciated. That’s because human love isn’t perfect. Sometimes, there are cases where it is so close that it feels perfect, but it never can be because people aren’t perfect. God’s love is the only love that can truly satisfy us.

Of course, God wants us to love others and to be loved. But He wants us to come to Him for our ultimate fulfillment and renewal of perfect love before we try extending it and receiving it from others. And when we feel heartbroken, we can still have hope because there is still someone out there that truly, sacrificially, undeniably loves us. The One who knew that the world would be made better with us on it. The One who died for us. The One who is always with us and the only One we can rely on.

Jesus.

I sure hope that you aren’t feeling brokenhearted today. I hope that you are feeling loved and cared for by others. But wherever your heart is today, I want you to still have hope. God loves you so much. No matter what’s going on in the world, between the division, the fires, the virus, and the longstanding issues we’ve been facing, God is still good. God still has a purpose for you. You don’t have to fear, because God is with you.

God loves you so much. ❤

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8

The Next Level With God

Are you feeling tested or challenged in your faith? Keep reading for some encouragement.

The closer you get to God, the harder the enemy is going to make your life.

But I have some encouragement for you.

It might not “feel” harder.

I have an exercise bike, and when I first got it, the lowest speed was a good workout. But now, after owning it for several years, I need to have it at a significantly harder level in order to even feel like I’m exercising.

This might seem like an odd analogy, but bear with me here.

The longer my “relationship” with my exercise bike was, the more it took for me to be challenged, to grow, for the bike to do it’s purpose to strengthen me.

The same goes for our relationship with God. The longer we know Him and trust Him, the more we are capable of doing through Him. God will continue to strengthen us, and He promises to never give us anything we can’t handle. But that does mean that there will be difficult things in our lives that might test us. So we need to be prepared, but not frightened.

Our purpose in life is to do God’s work, spreading His love and bringing more and more people to faith. We aren’t going to fulfill our purposes by sitting on the couch binging Netflix or hiding our faith from others when in public. We need to be open about how God has helped us become who we are today. We shouldn’t force our beliefs on others, but we should be ready to share God’s love with them.

I’m not telling you all this to bring on the pressure or to scare you. I’m telling you this because I know you can handle what God’s going to do through you. I know that you are brave, determined, and resilient. But I also know that life can be terrifying, with all these unknowns ahead of us. Loss, heartbreak, and surprises could be around the next turn.

But so could be joy, peace, and hope. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control your mindset. If you believe that God is working through every situation, then you don’t need to be afraid. God’s got this, and you’ve got this, and together you are an unstoppable team.

So today, don’t be afraid if you’re heading into a new level with God. He’s using this time to prepare you for amazing things that will change the lives of others. You just have to be willing to accept the new challenge and remember to not stay in the places that you’ve outgrown.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Enduring Pain

If you feel stuck, trying to figure out if there is any good that can come from your pain, keep reading.

A random skill that most people wouldn’t know I have is being a pretty good back massager. You heard me right…and you’re probably wondering why you’re still reading!

Well, I’ll get to the point…soon. You know how we Nines love our stories 😉

My mom used to tell people that she had a daughter simply to get free back massages, and a small part of me occasionally wonders if that’s true considering the frequency at which she requests them. As humans age, as you may know from experience, they often experience muscle stiffness. Tonight I was helping my mom get a knot out of her back, and after the allotted time I had agreed to perform this service was up, I asked if she wanted me to continue. She laughed and replied, “I would like that, but I don’t think I can endure the pain.”

This part may not surprise you, if you know me at all. After she said that, I suddenly knew I had to blog. Not about muscles, weird skills, or getting old. But rather, about pain.

About a year ago, one of my first posts was about pain and how many people often use numbing mechanisms to avoid it. Little did I know that throughout this past year, I’ve struggled with dealing with my pain and negative emotions. I often choose to not feel things, but then that includes the positive, happy memories as well.

I think avoiding pain can be one of our biggest mistakes in life. The longer we avoid the pain, the longer we avoid the good that can come out of that pain. God does not take us through difficult seasons without a reason. He knows that there’s something better at the end, but we just have to persevere. And sometimes that means trying something again that may have previously hurt us.

Now, I’m not telling you to go and let people walk all over you. I don’t want you to get into a dangerous situation or go backwards on a process towards good health. But if God is calling you to try something again, whether it’s a relationship, a career, a hobby, or perhaps even just diving back in your Bible, then you should go for it.

We love making excuses as to why we can’t possibly embrace our pain. We tell ourselves that we can’t endure it. And we’re right, we can’t.

At least, we can’t alone.

But God is always with us and He will give us the strength to get through anything.

I’ve seen so many people go through things I could never imagine going through with such bravery. They continue to live for God, they continue to go about their daily lives, and they will still be heroes, such strong people, in my eyes when they admit their pain and sorrow.

Don’t allow fear of people’s reactions to affect how you grieve, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a relationship, or a forgotten dream. The ones who are meant to be in your life and really care about you will give you the space to feel what you need to feel.

I know it’s hard trying again. I know it’s hard doing what God calls us to do. I’m not going to sit here and expect you to suddenly change your life or do things that risk heartbreak alone. I’m going to try to get out of my comfort zone and figure out my emotions as well, in a healthy way.

I know that we can both get through whatever life throws at us because we are empowered by our Creator. God loves us and designed us to need Him, and when we turn to Him, we will overflow with His grace, courage, and perseverance.

I’ll be praying for you. Don’t give up. ❤

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:2