Trials and suffering… that’s the last thing any of us want to hear.
Why, God? Why must we walk through certain things?
If you’ve thought this, you’re not alone. I have been smack in the middle of many painful seasons, kicking and screaming the whole way through. But looking back, I genuinely thank God for every trial and tribulation, not because it was enjoyable, and not because I’m some masochist, but because in those ugly, stretching places, the Lord refined me. He changed me for the better.
In those seasons, He dealt with my pride, my unforgiveness, stubbornness, jealousy, comparison, and discontentment. Those painful places became holy places. Sacred places where God chisels away what doesn’t reflect Him. One of the biggest areas where I have experienced God’s faithfulness has been through the health battles of all my children. Every single one of them has walked through serious health issues, and each journey pushed me deeper into the arms of God.
Trusting God When Life Hurts
While I have walked through many difficult seasons in my life, I feel led to share that some of the most defining have been the medical challenges in my children’s lives. From navigating my Ciana’s kidney diagnosis as a young single mom, to walking through Xavier’s severe reflux and rheumatoid arthritis, to Justin’s Type 1 diabetes, and Destiny’s diagnoses of Celiac disease and Lupus—every chapter has required faith, resilience, and a deep trust in God.
These experiences not only strengthened my children beyond their years, but also transformed me. It planted the seed that eventually led me into nursing, driven by a desire to better advocate for Ciana and later for the rest of my children. I watched Ciana endure difficult procedures with incredible strength at a young age. I watched Justin carry the weight of a 24-hour chronic disease from the age of five, yet do so with a calm, quiet strength far beyond his years. I watched Destiny endure severe side effects from Celiac disease while also living with the daily pain and exhaustion of Lupus. Even so, she continued to show up as a mother, care for her family, and persevere through pregnancy. I have watched Xavy spend long nights awake in pain, barely able to walk but I have also witnessed God’s healing hand on his life, how that same child now experiences only minor aches from time to time. Through it all, God has been faithful, present, and near. Through every diagnosis and moment of uncertainty, God continually went before us, providing the support, wisdom, and people we needed at the right time, reminding us that He was always at work.
If you are in the middle of something hard, I want to encourage you with this reminder: your feelings are valid, your situation matters, and you are seen and heard. I understand, and even more importantly, God does too. Our battles may look different. You might be a single mom doing everything you can just to survive, working tirelessly and wondering where the next dollar will come from. Maybe you’re carrying the weight of family struggles, walking through a difficult marriage, facing financial burdens, experiencing a divorce, watching a loved one battle sickness, or grieving an unexplainable and painful loss. You may feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and at the end of your strength.
God invites you to bring it all to Him. Speak to Him honestly. Tell Him exactly how you feel. He is not intimidated by your raw emotions or your questions. I encourage you to lay it at His feet, trusting that He is working even when you cannot see it. This does not mean that everyone will be healed or that every battle is suddenly fixed, but God has a way of meeting us in the middle of it. He sends the right people at the right time, someone to pray, someone to encourage, or gives us unexplainable strength, peace, and joy that allows us to stand in the mess, all while teaching us something through it.
When darkness feels like it is overtaking every part of your situation and you cannot see a way forward, God is still present. As we stand on the edge of a new year, let me encourage you with this truth: in the middle of every storm, God is there. He has been faithful in my own story. He strengthened my children, carried our family through fear and unanswered questions, and continually reminded me that even in the hardest seasons, He is present, purposeful, and good. He will be faithful in your story too.
Even when circumstances feel heavy and everything feels overwhelming or chaotic, I would rather walk through it with Him than face it exhausted and alone. Those valleys became places of refinement and testimony.
I am deeply thankful for God’s faithfulness and for the people He placed around us—my husband, my praying mother, my mother-in-law, and the family and friends who continually lifted my children up in prayer. Through every diagnosis, every sleepless night, every fear, and every unknown, God remained present. While our situations may look different, the truth remains the same: God is still with us.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
— James 1:2–3
Joy not because trials feel good, but because something good is being produced within us: perseverance, depth, maturity, and unwavering trust.
We all experience those stretches where it feels like one storm after another. We barely recover from one thing, then another wave hits. Yet, when life becomes smooth and predictable, something else can happen—we drift. We stop praying as intensely, worshiping as deeply, and seeking His voice as fervently. Life gets good… and our dependency fades.
Because He loves us, God nudges us. He sends reminders through people. He allows uncomfortable situations. Sometimes it is even a test, testing whether we truly believe what we say we believe.
Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, intercede for us, correct us, comfort us, ignite us, equip us. Let us learn from the Spirit of the Living God; not just when life is good, but especially when it is messy, painful, uncertain, and unclear.
When life is dark, when what you prayed for is nowhere in sight, will you still seek Him?
So lift your head…
Sometimes life feels heavy—your heart is weary, your strength thin, and your hope fading. But God steps right into those places with tenderness and power.
He doesn’t just protect you, He surrounds you.
He doesn’t just see your tears, He lifts your head.
Where shame tried to bow you low, He restores dignity.
Where discouragement tried to break you, He breathes hope.
Where fear tried to silence you, He strengthens your voice again.
Stand confidently today, knowing this:
God covers you.
God shields you.
God lifts you.
God honors you.
And when life causes your head to hang low, He gently places His hand under your chin and lifts your gaze toward Him. Hold your head high, not in pride, but in confidence, because your God is your shield, your glory, and the One who lifts your head. No matter what we walk through, darkness will never win, because His light does not lose.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5
So stand firm. Hold on to His promises. Even when nothing makes sense…. trust Him.
Even when you don’t see change… keep praying. Even when you don’t feel Him… Keep worshipping, He is near.
Let worship be your response
Discouragement is one of the enemy’s favorite tools because it disconnects us from the source of peace. But in those moments… Worship!
Worship until heaviness lifts. Worship until your spirit rises. Worship until truth replaces emotion. Worship disarms every tactic of the enemy and is a weapon that defeats discouragement!
“Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands.”
— Psalm 149:6
Prayer
Today, Lord, You see every beautiful woman reading this, no matter the season she is in.
Single women, single mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers—you see them all. Let Your presence rest upon each one like a fresh wind. Renew their minds, shift their perspective, and help them see through Your truth rather than their circumstances. Lift their spirits, replace sorrow with joy, and silence every voice of discouragement.
Break chains of anxiety, fear, depression, addiction, and destructive patterns. Guard their hearts and minds. Protect their homes, families, marriages, children, finances, and future plans. For the woman standing alone, remind her she is never truly alone. Let Your light invade every dark place and bring clarity where confusion has lived.
Increase their hunger for You. Let them see Your hand even in the middle of battles. Give them eyes to recognize hope where it once felt impossible, strength where they feel weary, and peace where fear has tried to settle. Reward their faithfulness as they stand firm, trusting You in every season.
In Jesus’ mighty name,
Amen and amen.
We might continue to face some of the same battles, but’s let choose to walk into the New Year different…
4 Responses
Thank you for the encouragement.
So good and powerful. God is so good. He loves us that much.
Beautifully, beautifully written. Just the encouragement I needed entering the new year 🌷
Powerful Read!