Their words will pierce your heart and they will pierce your soul.
They will make you think less of yourself.
But do not give up on life.
Do not believe their lies.
Do not believe their opinions.
You are not less than.
You do have a purpose.
There is hope.
God created each one of us from the very moment of conception with a God given, appointed purpose.
You are not what has happened to you.
Your circumstances do not define you.
God loves and cares for you.
When your heart aches cry out to him!
He will show up for you and pull you through.
No matter what they say or what it is you are battling, cry out Lord I need you!!
You must understand God has so much in store for you.
God has a plan and a future for you.
God is going to use your pain for your purpose!!
He is going to use you to help others who will walk through the very valley you’re in now.
Do not give up on yourself.
Your life is tied to saving the lives of others.
Pray to God and ask him to give you strength.
Your testimony is for others.
You will overcome.
You will be used for greater!
Father God, we give you thanks for you are worthy of all praise. We call upon your name and cry out to you. Lord, I need you. Lord, we need you. Lord, your people need you. Father, hear the cries of your people and show up for them. Show them Lord that they are never walking alone and that you are with them. Holy Spirit move in their lives and transform their spirits from within. Father God, comfort hearts and break strongholds. Lord Jesus, you are love. Remind your people that they have been set apart by you for a greater purpose. Renew their strength oh Lord so that they may fulfill their God-given purposes to help others. Align them with the right people who will help strengthen them. Father God, we know that our pain births our God given purpose. Renew your people Lord, reveal yourself to them and give them the strength to stand in the midst of the attacks, insults and pain. Father, comfort them in their pain. We come against the plans of the enemy Lord and declare that your will for their lives will come to pass. They will overcome and have a testimony to encourage and empower others. Father God we know that you will go before them so that they may intercede and go before others in the future. Strengthen us to walk in our God given purpose. We know that only you are able to provide for our needs. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Some of my friends and family members are in a storm right now or are walking through a valley wondering how to get out. They’re feeling down, hurt, angry and confused, and tomorrow’s outcome is uncertain. It hurts me to see them hurting, but if I’m honest, I can certainly relate because I too have days when I feel as though I am in a valley.
When we are in dark places dealing with conflict and struggle, we just want resolution and clarity so that we can see through the mess and feel secure or safe again.
When we are in these low places, that is when we must seek God the most. Our dark days are for a season, they will not last forever if we seek the Lord. Through God’s strength we can overcome. It may be hard to see it now, but brighter days are ahead when you allow God in and let him lead.
God uses our dark places to prepare and grow us. Although we feel like we are alone in the dark, we are not. God’s love will always find us in our darkest places and in our deepest pain.
In the Bible, God used Esther to help free his people. She was an orphan who felt abandoned and unworthy, but God still had purpose for her. She was appointed the queen of Persia. As queen she was faced with a tough decision that could cost the lives of both her and her people, the Jews. But she chose to risk her own life to tell her husband the king, about his Persian official Harmon’s evil plan to destroy all Jews, which included her his wife and Mordecai, her uncle who once saved his life. She revealed to her husband the king for the very first time that she and her uncle were both Jewish. She took this risk knowing that it was against the law to come before the king uninvited, accepting that it could result in her own death.
Through the book of Esther in the Bible, We learn that although God does not always seem present, he is always there with his people in their darkness and will never abandon them. It shows us God’s commitment to redeem his people. It also shows us that God appointed Esther in her position, “for such a time as this”, meaning God accomplished his purpose through Esther during that appointed time.
God also used Paul through darkness. He made Paul blind for three days and allowed him to sit unable to see, wondering whether he had lost his sight forever. Sitting in that dark place changed him and he found breakthrough.
Paul needed to loose his sight in order to stop viewing things in his old ways, otherwise, he would have never seen God in a new light. When he changed the way he viewed Christ, his sight was restored. Paul went from being a man who chased wealth and power into a man of faith. Had he not been put through darkness he would have never become a follower of Christ nor one of the 12 Apostles, spreading the gospel of Christ.
Acts 9:18 — Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.
When we are sitting in darkness it does not mean that we will stay there. God is at work behind the scenes. He uses darkness to get our attention, transform us and re-direct us.
So if you’re in a place feeling down, lonely, depressed, overwhelmed or struggling and are wondering why life is going the way it is for you, have faith and trust that God has a plan and brighter days are coming!
This song has been replay in my car for the past two weeks. It has kept me encouraged and uplifted and I pray that it will do the same for you!
Father God, We thank you that you are a God of redemption and that you give second chances to us. Father, tonight there are many people that are hurting, and in need of solutions to the struggles and issues that life has brought them. Lord, you are our savior and our deliverer. I pray tonight that you would reveal yourself to all who are hurting and in a dark place. Father God, meet them right there in their darkness and show them love in the mist of their pain. Transform their hearts oh God, and set a fire in their soul so that they would thirst and hunger to know you and draw closer to you on a daily basis. Father, we know that we were all created with a plan and a purpose and that you turn around what the enemy has meant for evil. You turn all evil and all bad things around for the good of those who love you. Father God, show up for your people and hear their cries Lord Jesus. I pray for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to fall upon them and that they would repent and seek to live a life chasing after your love only. This world is a dark place Father, change hearts, Lord Jesus brake chains, and cause your people to surrender to the life they were meant to live. You are a God of love, I pray that all those hurting will see the light that you are shining into their darkness and reach out for your unfailing love. In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen
One afternoon I was cleaning up my living room with my daughter who was two at the time. Her toys were everywhere and as we were cleaning I came across a broken toy. I told her that the toy had to get thrown out because it was broken. Hearing that really upset her and she began to cry.
As I tried explaining to my toddler that this particular toy could not be fixed, she repeatedly said to me, “Nooo, it’s still good”. She was so upset and I said to her, “But Mama, it is broken, it will no longer work.” She looked up at me with her eyes full of tears and said, “Yes! It can be fixed, it’s still good.” She wanted to keep this broken toy and did not want to accept that Mommy couldn’t fix it for her.
I tried to explain to her, some things can be fixed and some just can’t. But her little heart was broken and she couldn’t understand what I was trying to explain to her. She was frustrated and kept insisting to me that we could fix it and continuously asked me over and over to please try to fix it.
Once she calmed down I redirected her to all her other toys and played with her to remind her of all her other blessings. That time together restored her joy & she was reminded of all her other fun toys.
Sometimes we are so caught up on the one thing we no longer have, that we loose sight of all the other good things we do have and all the good that is to come.
Isn’t that the case in life? We hold onto things not realizing that they are actually broken and they can never be fixed. We treasure things that are of value to us, so even when they are falling apart we hold tightly onto them, and continue trying over and over to repair them. But sometimes, no matter how much or how hard you try, they remain broken.
After I got my daughter to sleep later that night, I laid next to her and began to imagine how God, our father, felt when we cry and plead to him asking him to fix our broken relationships, restore our broken families, or fix situations that cannot be fixed. Surely it must hurt him to hear his children crying out for something they don’t know isn’t his best for them.
God is all powerful and is a miracle worker, but imagine how hurt he must feel knowing that we want him to fix something that he simply cannot give back to us? As our Father, he does not want to see us in pain, just as we don’t want to see our babies hurting. But, he knows we must accept that he alone knows what is best, even when we can’t understand why.
Have you been in this place? Are you there now? Are you struggling to let go of something that is broken because you can’t understand why it can’t be fixed or restored even when you’ve done all you can? I was there too.
If you’re struggling in this place today, I pray that you would pray and ask the Lord to heal your heart. I pray you’d ask him to give you the strength to find acceptance and to trust that you can move forward without what is now broken.
To move forward and heal you must place your situation into God’s hands. Ask him for the strength to accept his will, even if it is not the outcome you are hoping for. Pray and ask for God to heal your heart and give you the obedience and patience to be able to wait for his plans to come to pass in your life.
God prepares us for our future blessings and he equips us to be ready for them.
Sometimes our hearts desires do not line up with his will or timing for our lives. God has seasons for everything, ask that he help you discern and accept the season he has you in. Rather than desperately trying to hold onto a season that is past and already gone, move forward with hope for the blessings to come.
May we seek to learn the lesson and trust God even when we do not get what we think we need.
God allows painful situations in order to teach us valuable life lessons and to change our hearts. He let me experience loss so that I could rely soley on him to experience what love was.
God Heals Our Pain, Jeremiah 33:6. Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.
God Comforts Us, 2 Corinthians 1:3–4. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
God has Purpose in all Things, Romans 8:28-29. We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers.
God is Our Strength in Every Situation, Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Father God, We thank you because we know that you are a loving God and that you desire to protect us from anything that would cause harm to us. Father, many of us have things in our lives that have broken and are irreparable, but we are hanging onto them hoping for restoration and hoping that things will be fixed. Father, humble those in this struggle so that they may turn to you and seek to be strengthened so that they may move forward. Father, your word says that there is a season for everything, help your children to accept when a season has ended and place that which is broken into your hands so that their hearts can be healed and restored. Situations and circumstances may be shattered beyond repair, but our hearts are not. Father, heal like only you can. Bring acceptance, strength and renew your children’s spirits. Father we know that you make all things new, reveal to your children that you have greater in store for their future and remind them of your unfailing love for them. Although what they have lost hurts deeply, remind them of your promises Oh God. Your plans are to give us peace not suffering and a hope and a future. We thank you oh Lord for your love & protection. And we trust you father. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Growing with you,
Sandy
Letting Go is Hard, but there is a Blessing in the Lesson
It’s time for me to pull over and let the Lord drive.
Last year, I was in this place, feeling as though I was just stuck. I felt paralyzed and unable to move. Confused, scared and not knowing which direction to step in, I’d walk around with a heavy heart daily. I’d wear a fake smile when I saw people so that no one would ask what was wrong. And when they did ask how I was, I’d say “I’m doing good”.
So here is my truth; I wasn’t doing good, but I wanted them to believe I was. I didn’t want to appear weak so I thought I had to present myself as having it all together. I didn’t want anyone to know I needed help to get “unstuck”.
I’m hard on myself when I make mistakes and I hate disappointing others, so much so that I fail to set boundaries for myself. If I’m being honest, up until a year ago I had no idea boundaries were even important.
I’ve told myself, God is with me so I can endure anything [Because with God we can]. I’ve told myself that I can handle anything that comes my way. But if that is the case, why are there times that I feel as though I can’t carry the weight? And why are there times it feels as if my own heart is about to burn right through my chest?
I think some of us have been in this place of pretending. Not for the world but, pretending for ourselves. Because if we were to admit that we needed help, or if we were to let go of the circumstances hurting us, to ourselves that would be giving up, and giving up is not supposed to be an option. At least it never was for me.
As circumstances arose in my life, I coached myself by telling myself that giving up is only for the weak. I told myself, “If you are strong, you must be able to endure any type of pain.”
As I grow and draw closer to God, I am beginning to realize that I was in denial. Because as I was coaching myself to “endure”, I’d been allowing the pain to slowly break me to pieces. I had to self reflect and ask myself, “Is that really how I want to live the rest of my life?” The answer was clear: No it is not.
I want to be happy.
I want to smile and feel the joy that only peace can cover us with. But how do I get there? I don’t know how to fix what is wrong. I’ve tried. I don’t know how to make others see my heart, I’ve tried that too.
I always end up trying in my own strength. But why? I know that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9], so why was I stopping him from showing up? Why was I stopping God from showing me his power?
I knew the answer: It was because of fear.
I was comfortable holding onto what hurt me because I feared facing reality.
When someone or something hurts us, we need to step away from it. Otherwise, we will never begin to heal.
Living in daily pain blinds you. You become so used to being hurt that you believe it’s wrong for you to stop the hurt, because if you do, you’re either giving up or you’re going to hurt someone else.
Hurting someone else is the absolute last thing you want to do, so you cope and you endure.
But sometimes it takes loving ourselves to stop the hurt.
If loving yourself enough not to let someone hurt you causes them to label you as selfish or self-centered, you have to be ok with their label. You have to be willing to accept that their opinion of you is “theirs” and theirs alone
Do you want to be happy?
If so, accept that you will not find happiness in an unhappy place.
Accept that pain and happiness cannot coexist.
Accept that there are some who are incapable of showing love to “you”, even when you love them.
Believing in someone will not guarantee they will believe in you. Being kind to someone does not mean they will be kind to you.
So know this…
It’s ok to walk away from what is breaking you. It’s ok to have a boundary. Letting go doesn’t make you a failure.
Will it be easy? No. Will it hurt? Of course! Will it take time to gather up the strength to make the decision to do it and then follow through with it? Yes! For me it took years to get to where I knew I had to let go and let God take the control.
Are you in this place? Is your relationship with a close family member, friend, partner, or work superior hurting or diminishing who you are?
Be strong enough to realize that living in pain is a cycle that must be broken. You may not know how to break it or what direction to go in, but you don’t have to. Surrender yourself to God’s lead and take him at his word. He wants us happy.
Staying in pain or constant discomfort will not bring you happiness. It is time to stop just existing. We will always have struggles in life but we must choose not to allow them to keep us feeling stuck daily.
It’s time to enjoy the life you were blessed with and start to live! Tomorrow isn’t promised.
Make the choice to be Happy and let God handle it🙏 It is a choice you will never regret. Get out of your way and ask Jesus to lead. You must guard your heart in order for the healing to start.
Allow God’s truth to change you and restore joy to your life. Choose to be happy!
Growing with you,
Sandy
Father God, Thank you for loving us even when we feel unlovable. Thank you for standing with us through doubt and uncertainty until we are strong enough to surrender our circumstances and situations over to you. Thank you for never giving up on us and for waiting for us to place our lives in your hands. Jesus you pursue us even when we try to live without you in our own strength. You love us through our bad choices, downfalls and when we are stuck in our valley. Thank you for never giving up and for showing me what unconditional love truly is. Father, tonight I lift up anyone who is struggling in a dark place which they feel they cannot come out of. Father, I ask that you restore the joy in their lives and reveal to them that your grace is sufficient for them and that your power is made perfect in weakness. May they seek after you in their valley, oh Lord. May they surrender it all at your feet Lord and place their trust solely in you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
This has been a trying year for me. I have experienced anger, sadness and disappointment after having people test both my character and my faith.
I created this blog to be obedient to the calling on my heart and share experiences in order to encourage others and share with them God’s unconditional love for all. I knew that sharing personal experiences would mean having to be transparent, and frankly, this meant opening myself up to negative criticism.
When you share your faith with the world there will be individuals who will criticize or judge you because they either disagree with you, dislike you, or feel that you’re not good enough to offer encouragement due to your mistakes. Read more ›
I thought I would take some time to write a little bit about myself so that my readers get to know to me. Like every human being I have been through many difficult times in life but I have also experienced joy.
I had a rough upbringing, I come from a broken family without a dad in the home. I was raised by a single mom who struggled independently and needed assistance to raise three children on her own. As a child, I never experienced what a healthy family life felt like so it is a hunger I have carried with me my entire life. This hunger caused me to have a blind eye to love. I have a huge heart and allowed my heart to lead me in my choices, this resulted in me having many painful life experiences.
I became pregnant at the age of 17 and gave birth to my beautiful daughter at the age of 18. She represented life to me. She was so innocent and precious so I made a promise to myself to always be her provider and protector. God graciously blessed me by opening doors to jobs that paid me enough money to support my daughter and provide for all her needs. We had all the material things we needed to survive, but somehow my inner hunger for a life partner led me in the wrong direction.
Parenting helped me discover that I have a giving heart. I found joy in providing for my daughter and seeing her face light up. This birthed a strong desire within me to help others. I know what it’s like to be in need so when I see someone with a need my instinct is to help them. I find myself having a desire to make their load lighter. So I try my best to help them in any way I can. I give the encouragement I know I would need if I were them.
I know what it’s like to have a longing for something in my heart and I know what it is like to be broken. I also know what it is to feel hopeless and shattered because the one you trusted to protect your heart left you in pieces instead. So when I come across someone who feels shattered or lost, my heart is lead to encourage and help uplift. I don’t want anyone to feel the emptiness I struggled with in my past.
Made Piece by Piece 