Seeds of Hope

It’s okay if you’re struggling right now.

I want to remind you that, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances, you are not alone. Allow God to plant seeds of hope in your heart and over time you will find that your wounds grow into something beautiful.

There are a lot of assumptions made about trauma and healing. Some people assume that because someone’s trauma happened a long time ago, they should be “over it.” Or they assume that someone’s trauma isn’t that big of a deal. The fact is a lot of people don’t understand what a survivor goes through unless they’ve been there themselves. Even then, there is no one right way to heal and all survivors are different.

Choosing to be a survivor is tough. Healing is a challenge. Even when you have been working on healing your wounds for a long time, the scars sometimes bother you. Memories and triggers do pop up from time to time. Moving on with your life does not mean that you forget.

Even years later, you can feel sad, angry, and confused. From time to time, you might find yourself asking all over again, “Why?” On one day you might find yourself thinking, “I’m doing okay! I’ve got this!” as you look confidently looking to the future. On another day, you might find yourself at a low point wondering how you will ever find the strength to move forward. 

Those low points are rough patches to get through. But in these times – times that feel as though you’ve gone a few steps backwards instead of forwards – don’t give up.

You would probably rather be a “pro” at anything else but this kind of survival. I know that having to get up and keep going doesn’t seem fair. We are all faced with the choice to either move forward, learning to live with our experiences and pain, or we can choose to forever live in the pain. In many ways grief is such a mystery but facing it and learning to live with it is always the best choice anyone can make. Sometimes facing our grief means admitting that we are not okay, taking a break from the rest of the world, and allowing ourselves to feel all the feelings and work through them.

Inviting God into our pain can much all the difference. He never promised that this world would be a perfect or easy one to live in. He did promise, however, that we would never be alone in our suffering. God did promise that, whether we see it or not, He would bring good from that suffering. I know that life doesn’t always seem this way, but you do not suffer in vain. Your pain has purpose even if we can’t see it right at this moment. You might never see the merits of your pain on this earth. 

Whether your pain is old or new, it’s okay if you’re struggling. No matter what you are going through, let God be your compass. Let Him guide you. Allow God to plant seeds of hope in your heart. Then ask Him for the grace to recognize when something beautiful unfolds.

Even when you’re feeling discouraged, please don’t give up. I promise you that it does get better! There will come a day when the good days far outweigh the bad ones. On the good days, rejoice! Gratitude is such an important part of healing. On the bad days, give everything to God and, even then, rejoice. No matter how awful things feel, God’s love and grace surround you. There is tremendous hope, peace, and beauty that come from bringing Christ into your pain.

It’s okay if you are struggling right now.

Ask God to plant the seeds of hope in your wounds. Your wounds will grow into something beautiful, and the fruits will be lasting.