Hello Friend!

I ran across the following post, sitting in my drafts and clicked to read it. I started this post in 2019 while caring for my mother, so as you may know it’s been four years.  God has done so very much in my heart and life since I first sat down to write this post. However, life is cyclical and therefore with each ebb and flow comes both good and challenging times. This post is a beautiful reminder that even in the hardest moments in life, we serve a God who is walking beside us, and even carrying us through until we can see life and joy again.  As I finally release this post into the world, may it serve as a beautiful reminder that you are loved by our gracious Father and He longs to be invited into your struggles and pain so He can be all you need in this moment.

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As I sit at my mom’s desk, looking out the window, listening to the wind howling through the trees and the rain vigorously falling, I can’t help but notice how the weather matches my heart.

The saying goes, “When it rains, it pours” however, thankfully, Psalm 34:18 is also true: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”

Trials like rain have been pouring for years now, one after another, sometimes overlapping, leaving me soaked and weary to the bone, physically tired, and often feeling alone. While my heart knows better, because God is with me every moment of every day, there are aspects of the trials that I have to walk alone. For example, the current journey I’m on with my Mom: this is her cancer journey, and this is my caregiver journey; while parallel, they are distinctly different, leaving both of us to walk a portion of this alone.

The howling wind, amidst the rain can sometimes be dark and bleak, reminding me of how the devil hisses discouragement and lies, making me feel weak, incapable, unloved and undeserving of good things. #butGod in His faithfulness, whispers truth to my heart through His Word, reminding me I am loved, He is with me, and that I have everything I need for what I’m facing.  I am tasked with choosing what to believe: Truth or Lies.

I’ve been working through my friend Holley Gerth‘s latest devotional, Strong Brave Loved and today’s devotional from Chapter 15, Live True, hit home. A few quotes are:

I have come to understand God says mercies are new every morning because that’s how often we need them.

I am God’s daughter. I am beloved. I have everything I need for whatever I may face.

Today I can walk in the truth of who I am and Whose I am.

These nuggets of truth serve my heart like a warm blanket on a cold, rainy day. It’s tough to be in the middle of a downpour, with the wind cutting to the bone, with no one to provide an umbrella. #butGod in His kindness and mercy, outstretches His hand, scoops me up in His arms, and holds me tightly, as He whispers that I’m His daughter. I am beloved. I have everything I need and I can walk in the truth of who I am because of Whose I am. He truly is all I need and what my heart longs for most.

The rain may not stop, the howling may persist, but my broken heart can rest assured I am safe in the arms of a Savior who won’t let me drown. The tears may fall, and the loneliness may cut deep, #butGod is with me and He hasn’t allowed the rain, without having a plan to get me through the storm where I’ll find His promise like a rainbow in the sky. I may not know the future, but I know the One who holds the future because He’s holding me in His arms.

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Regardless of where you are on your journey, please know this: You are not alone. Not only am I here for you, but our Father longs to walk beside you, hold you close and love on you like only a Heavenly Father can do. I encourage you to lean into Jesus during your darkest hours and watch Him move abundantly in your life. May you experience His peace and joy today.  I promise you, the storm will pass and Joy Will Come in the Morning. Enjoy this music video of a worship song I have come to cherish because I am living, walking proof that joy DOES come in the morning! God is good! 🙂

Feel free to message me with any prayer requests.

Much Love,