I know it hurts.
Heartache. disappointment. bitterness.
It hurts immensely and it can feel like you’re completely crushed by it.
I believe when it comes to suffering, part of the process is allowing yourself to feel the full range of emotions you have- and sometimes allowing that can take you out. Sometimes that means pausing the rest of life to just grieve.
But I also believe you don’t have to be fully healed to keep moving forward.
Truly.
I have seen people, who are absolutely not okay, get up and keep going.
With grief in their heart, and heaviness on their chest, they get up. They stumble. They get up. They stumble. They get up again.
They aren’t okay. They are far from it. But they get up.
Not on their own. Not by their own strength. Although they do play a big role in it.
It’s more like they flex their faith muscle and through that they receive God’s strength and grace to keep going.
Even though they aren’t okay.
And here is what I’ve learned from these people:
Getting back up doesn’t mean you’re okay. It means you know you will be okay.
Because you know God will see you through. You know He won’t leave your side.
You know because He’s done it before and He’ll do it again.
Truly, one of the keys to be able to “get back up” even during suffering, is clinging to your faith that how you feel in the moment is not the end of the story.
I will never diminish someone’s pain because it’s valid, real and incredibly difficult.
But I also won’t tell someone that they need to wait until they are “better” or “over it” to keep going.
That’s simply not true.
So if you find yourself in a place where you aren’t okay… I want to remind you that your suffering does not mean you need to stay put.
Your suffering does not even get to dictate how your life goes from here.
You can still move even if it’s stumbling, falling, and crying out for strength. Even if you aren’t okay.
Because if you believe in the promises of God, and hold them closely in the pain, you can cling to the fact that you might not be okay right now, but someday you will be.
You will be okay.
~Kelli Bachara, The Unraveling Blog