Standing Through Life's Storms

I’ve been low lately. I’ve felt like I’ve been in a storm. So many great things have happened in my life lately, yet I have found it hard to rejoice when my soul feels dimmed… when my light has seemed to be going out from the rain of the storm. Lies have filled my head. Doubts have crowded my brain.

There’s been hurt. There’s been pain.

I want to speak this truth into you now because you too will experience these storms… maybe you’re in one right now.

I do not know your situation, but I do know this: there will be times that are hard. There will be valleys you go through. There will sometimes be these valleys before there are mountains. There will sometimes be lows before there are highs. There will sometimes be hurt before there is healing.

God didn’t promise us a life of perfection. He promised us a life of purpose… a purpose He calls us to. A purpose that is not alway easy. And in the midst of these hard times, God is showing me something:

He is real. He is life changing. He is life giving. The goodness that comes from Him cannot be found in the world. The hope that He offers cannot be offered to you from the world. It comes from Him. It all comes from Him. Love, goodness, peace. Sure, in this world you’ll have moments of happiness and good times. You’ll have memories you cherish and want to hold onto. But I can promise you this: Your temporary happiness that comes from this world cannot even compare to the joy that comes from God.

Will there be low times? Absolutely. Will you have storms to pass through? Absolutely. But when you know Christ and you are rooted in God and have Him laid as your foundation, you have a hope that doesn’t waver in the seasons of hurt and pain. You have a hope that gives life where the devil wants to bring death. You will not be shaken. You have a hope that you can cling to that helps you remember this too shall pass.

I know it’s harder to believe in things you cannot see. I get that. But I think it’s harder to live life without the joy and fullness that only comes from God. it’s harder to live a life that is only rooted in temporary happiness rather than an eternal joy.

Believe me.

I’ve felt it.

And in the midst of this pain, I received a message. It came from someone who has followed me from the beginning. A person I’ve never met, who I’ve never seen face to face, but who has supported me from the start.

He sent me a message saying, “I saw this video earlier, and I feel like God has just been weighing on my heart to share it with you. I don't know if you need it personally or if it may help with your blog, but I just felt that you needed to see it. And I also had one other thing weighing on me. I just wanted to say that everyone on this earth is here to shine God's light, and some people have such a brighter light than others and are just given that gift to shine that light into the darkness, and I know that it is a light that may be dimmed in challenging times and times of despair, but just know that you have such an amazing talent and gift, and you are such a bright light to those who are in the dark and those who have their lights flickering out. God bless, Madison!”

Along with this message, he sent me this video. This is what the video (you can watch it here) was all about:

A young girl around my age is sitting in a kitchen eating dinner with a family. You can tell she’s down and not feeling right. These are her words:

“Well honestly I’ve just been thinking a lot… Everyone just thinks that I’m so put together and that I have everything figured out, but really I feel like I’m just falling apart.”

The man at the table looks at her and says this:

“Listen, I understand what you’re going through. I’ve been there… but I need you to understand this:

Sometimes it takes certain things falling apart for better things to fall into place.

Sometimes it takes losing what you’re settling for to remind you what you truly deserve.

Sometimes it takes the most uncomfortable paths to lead your life to the most beautiful place.

I know it’s hard, but you will never see the purpose of the storm until you see the growth it produces.

You will never see the purpose of someone leaving your life until you see what’s best for your life.

You will never understand why you’re going through what you’re going through until you see the strength, the power, the growth that it built inside of you.

I want you to understand and believe this.

Your current situation is not your final destination. This storm will eventually run out of rain. This struggle that seems like it’s lasting forever will eventually run out of pain.

This hurt you will turn into the greatest you.

This broken you will turn into the best you.

Let these hard times, the hardest times of your life, turn into your best life.

Let your bad days create your best days.

Like that proverb says, just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

So understand: just because something is over doesn’t mean your life is over.

This chapter is not your story.

This moment is not your identity.

This pain is not your life.

You have to believe the tables of your life will turn.

This pain will become power.

This weakness will become strength.

This confusion will become peace.

Better things are coming for your life.

Your heart will heal. Your tears will dry. Your mind will calm.

This storm will end. It will take time, but I promise you, it will get better.

Everything you’re going through will eventually turn into everything you made it through.

Never forget that every single day is a new beginning. Make today yours.”

I pray that this brings you hope and goodness and peace and faithfulness in your season of life. I pray that this can help you through life’s storms. I pray that you choose to have the hope that comes from God as the anchor of your soul. So when the storm is coming and the waves are being tossed, you have that anchor to get you through.

God’s got you. Believe it.