What You Need Today if Life Is Hard Just Now

Photo Credit: Cobalt123/Creative Commons

Greetings! I’m so glad you stopped by!

If life is hard just now or you’re a tad at loose ends, then come on in, kick off your shoes, and sit a spell. What you need is a dollop of lovin’ and a dose of encouragement!

And you’re in the right place. Today’s post is for YOU.

I know. You don’t want to be a bother. You’re not a complainer. Or a naysayer. Or a cast-er of doom-and-gloom. (Chronic complainers are far different animals from those in the throes of despair as I’ve said before.) But let’s be honest here–we all have bad days or less than stellar moments.

Just for today, though, don’t worry about being “a bother.” You’re not. You’re welcome here.

I’m not going to tell you to pull up your big girl bloomers or big boy boxers and put up or shut up. If you’re hurting, words of indifference only compound the hurt. And nothing will deflate us quicker than a cold bucket of apathy thrown in our face.

By the same token, placating and patronizing attitudes do little to energize and inspire. We sense authentic folks. True encouragers will always stand head and shoulders above those who merely “say the right things” versus those willing to stand in the gap with us.

I may not understand your particular hurt or need specifically, but know this:

I care.

And I do know a little something (a lot, really) about heartache and hopelessness.  As I’ve shared in some other posts, my season lasted many years. I couldn’t control it, ditch it, or move past it. It was out of my hands. I felt like the season from hell would never end.

If you’re in such a season, the first thing I want to say is don’t give up. (Read this, please.) Don’t let your circumstance determine your potential or define your future. Sure, the muck and mire changes us. It shapes us. It influences our perception of things, but the bad doesn’t have to be the death-blow to good.

Something to keep in mind is that seasons DO end. Not always the way we plan, dream, or hope, but sometimes exceeding our expectations (we just may not see it as such when we’re in the midst of our journey.)

Years ago, writing took a backseat to keeping our child alive, though I still wrote some because it was the only thing that kept me sane at the time.

I learned a great deal from that period, and  I made mental notes of things to share with others someday. Things that might make a difference to you as you trudge the valley.

• You will make it. The present may feel rotten. It may seem like there’s no hope. The game-changer? One word–God!

• God’s son, Jesus Christ, is working on your behalf. He’s working through you, around you, and in spite of you! (If you don’t know Him, click here to find out how.)

• You are loved. In the middle of a harsh season, it’s easy to forget that, but I want you to remember it.  Stand in front of a mirror and repeat it if necessary. Don’t fritter away another minute by doubting that you matter.

• Your season may or may not be about you. God may be using your season to grow someone else. (This was an epiphany for me!)

• GREAT things are in store for you! It’s true. The biggest blessings come from our worst circumstances.

Let me offer you a cyber hug and remind you, too, there ARE better days ahead.

Just when you think the last breath of hope has passed you by, get ready! That’s when God’s about to move! (And often times, He loves to do it in a BIG way.)

Years ago, I couldn’t envision the impact of our season on others. Now, I see God’s hand print all over our busy, but blessed lives.

And I see a young man who once weighed only 99 pounds, at death’s door, now fully restored and about to make his mark in the field of education.

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What’s something you’ve learned about “seasons” and life’s challenges?

Photo Credit: Cobalt123/CreativeCommons

 Blessings Always,