Built to Outlast the Storm

“You’ve turned my mourning into dancing, you’ve turned my sorrow into joy.” -Psalm 30:11

As I have been going through life, I have been reflecting on the different seasons of life. There are seasons of rejoicing: maybe you received really good news and you are sharing it with everyone you come across - life is going pretty well in this season. Then there are seasons of great despair - you receive not-so-good news and don’t know where to turn to. I want to let you know that these ebbs and flows of life are all normal, don’t worry! We all face times in life when the storms of life make it difficult to keep hope alive.

Sometimes these storms can last for years. Day after day we have to keep going in the midst of the difficulty. Sometimes these storms can last for a short period of time, and you find yourself recovering quite quickly. No matter what storm you might be facing, I want to let you know that the sun always comes out after the rain! When we outlast the storms of life, we can then step into the blessings that lay on the other side. I know for me every time I have endured, I have always received a blessing and learned a lesson for the future.

So, the next time you find yourself going through a dark moment, I encourage you to not let it define who you are. You have destiny and greatness built inside of you. You were created by a God who calls you wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). I encourage you to keep hope alive by doing the following:

1. Remember what the Lord has done for you in the past. Do not let your current circumstances cause you to forget what God has brought you through before. He has done it before and he is faithful to do it again!

2. Count your blessings, name them one by one! There’s a popular song that echoes this phrase. Take the time to be grateful for the small things - your home, your family, the sunshine. You’ll be surprised what the Lord has done in your life.

3. Give yourself grace. Lastly, I would encourage you to be gentle with yourself, especially if you are facing a great storm. The best place to find rest and comfort is in the arms of Jesus. Run to him and you will find rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28-30).

Thank you so much for reading this post! I pray that this has empowered you to keep moving forward, for your blessing lies on the other side. ~Tracey