Hope in the Storm

During one of the most painful times of my life I truly found myself fantasizing about death. I never would have killed myself, but many days I did hope death would take me. For a moment of my life I didn't live; I simply existed. I was plagued with daily pain in my head and in my heart. I suffered daily- spiritually, physically, and emotionally, which led to pretty deep depression and anxiety. Fear is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons. Worry, anxiety, fear… it can all overwhelm us like a thick shadow of darkness, controlling our every move and decision. Yet reality tells us that so much of what we spend our time worrying about never even happens. Living under the weight of the "what if's" is a hard place to dwell. God has words of life and of truth. In the middle of the storms of life it is easy to feel overwhelmed and be tempted to just stop trying. But storms don’t last forever. Jesus freed me enough to work on freeing myself. He promised He would help me, but He expected me to do the work. I have found that God has one primary lesson for His children to learn and that is unconditional trust in Him. He allows storms to rage all around us because He wants us to be unphased by troubled waters. He wants us to have so much faith in Him that we too learn to sleep through storms. Don’t be troubled ladies, our Father is leading us to still waters within our hearts. He is teaching us how to have peace no matter what life throws our way. When He decides He will not transform our situations, He is transforming our hearts and there is great purpose for those who submit to the process, lean into the pain, and conquer fear one step at a time. In the midst of the storms in life, we must remain hopeful for it is hope that gets us through any difficult situation and gives us the motivation to break free from the chains that hold us back from our destinies. Keep Calm and DIVA On!