You’re Still Here.

While at work, two songs on my playlist inspired me to write this message: I’m Still Here by Dorinda Clark-Cole and Live Through It by James Fortune.

We are still here only by the grace of God. The things He has allowed us to go through… we have lived through them. There are so many people who have lost their minds or even their lives in situations similar to ours. Yet here we are—still standing in the middle of whatever we are going through.

Do not count yourself out because God hasn’t.

As people, we have to learn how to sit in our pain and get through it, instead of constantly trying to find a way around it. There are so many distractions in this world that allow us to avoid feeling what hurts. I’ve done it myself, and believe me when I say it is only temporary. Eventually, you have to face what you feel.

You are still here because God knows you can live through it. He still has a purpose for you. We can become so focused on trying to make it through the storm that we forget the sun has to come out again. I want you to know that you are still here because God wants you to be here. He has a plan for you.

Allow yourself to feel.

It is okay to cry. It is okay to shout. It is okay to stomp your feet. It is okay to lay down and not have the words. But feel. Give yourself permission to acknowledge what hurts instead of pretending that it doesn’t. Look at Job. Job went through the unimaginable. He lost so much, and he experienced a level of pain that many of us could never imagine. But he didn’t pretend that he wasn’t hurting. He questioned. He cried out. He grieved. He sat in the reality of what he was experiencing while still holding onto God.

And eventually, the storm passed.

God blessed Job with so much after his suffering, but honestly, that isn’t even the part that stands out to me the most. God kept him. His life was preserved. His story didn’t end in the middle of his pain. And neither does yours. If God can take care of us in the storm, He can take care of us after the storm too. There is still a plan, even when you can’t see it.

I love you all so much. You’re my family, and I would never try to steer you wrong. Every word I write comes from my heart, and I truly believe the Lord guides me in how I speak.

So if you’re hurting right now, please remember this:

You’re still here. And it’s by the grace of God. Keep going. You got this.