Dear Friend, 

The Lord has put you deeply on my heart.  I may not know who you are specifically but I know your struggles.  I know your pain.  I have been there in that very same storm you face today.  Sometimes even multiple storms at the same time that seem to just keep pushing you back under.  As soon as you reach the air, you get knocked back under the crashing waves again.  You feel as if you will never reach the shore.  The pain, the grief, the abuse, the heartache, the darkness keeps dragging you under and swallowing you whole.  I know…

I know and I am here to tell you that brighter days are coming.  Eventually what you are going through will become what you’ve made it through.  Hold on tight to the Lord and His promises.  Believe me when I say He still has a plan for your life.  He did not bring you this far to forsake you now.  He is with you always. (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 13:5)  He will bring beauty from the ashes but you have to hold onto Him. Let Him carry you through the storm.

I know you seek healing.  They say time will heal all wounds but time will not heal you.  Your best friend will not heal you.  Your children will not heal you.  I, dear friend, cannot heal you.  We can help but only Jesus can truly heal you. Healing has always been an essential part of His ministry.  His word tells us He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

He died for you to save you.  To save you in the fiery furnace.  To save you in the crashing waves of the storm.  To save you from the pain and the grief and the heartache.  To save YOU!  Do you understand how precious of a gift that is?  

I know you have days that you are so weary you feel as if you can’t go on.  Days where your faith is small.  Days where you don’t even want to get out of bed but you must!  You must get out of bed and take even the smallest step toward Him.  I promise He will meet you exactly where you are and carry you through.  He will renew your strength when you have none.  (Isaiah 40:37)  Our God is so faithful!   You may stumble and crawl before you can walk or run.  That’s ok!  It doesn’t matter what it looks like.  Just get up and get going.

Remember you only need a mustard seed of faith…God will provide the rest!  He just needs us to stand in our faith, no matter how small, and trust in Him!  

Trust in Him. 

Breathe.  Love.  Laugh.  Pray.  Live. 

I know those things can be hard but He wants you to continue doing them.  Even when you are at your darkest, you can still have JOY and a HOPE that comes only from the Lord.  Let Him fill you up today.  I know there are days you have to fight with everything you’ve got to hold onto your peace.  Let the Lord fill you with the only kind of peace that is everlasting.  Keep your eyes on Him today. 

When you keep your eyes on Him, you can walk on water but the moment you look away is the moment you start to drown again.  I know because it’s the same for me. The days I struggle the most are the days I take my eyes off Him.  Just this week I’ve joined a class at my church to help me deal with my personal struggles. See, I too still struggle in the storm but I know the only way through what I’m feeling is to be closer to Him and others who are trying to be closer to Him.  I want to surround myself with people fighting just like me.  People not giving up.  People who want to learn all they can about the only One who can truly heal us!  I want to stand in His presence and feel His healing!  I am ready to be what He wants me to be for Him.  My storms have a purpose but I still need help!  Make sure you get all the help you need!

Today I want you to know that

You are loved.

You are beautiful.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

You are worth so much more than you can ever imagine.

Your life has meaning and a purpose.

You are stronger than you realize.

You are not alone.

Let me say that again, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Your Heavenly Father walks beside you holding your right hand.  Your life is not in vain.  Your pain is not in vain.  Draw closer to Him and He will draw closer to you! (James 4:8)

I am praying for you!

Blessings, 

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

If you are looking for a great resource to help you realize your worth and who you are in Christ, I always suggest the book Radiant (amazon affiliate link) by Priscilla Shirer. I know it says for Teen girls and Young Women but this book was given to me at the age of 43 and it changed my life and because of that I continue to share it with others.  As soon as I finished reading it, I immediately went out and bought it for my own young adult daughters and I continue to give it as graduation gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. to all the women, young and younger, that I know!