This Too Shall Pass

Sapped strength. Hateful attitudes. Weary souls. People who get paid to aggravate you every week. Bad news. Wicked spirits. Health setbacks. Petty insults. Unexpected losses. Political clowns. Wrongful employment terminations. Hate crimes. Justice not being properly served. Financial strains and setbacks. The death of loved ones and so much more, are all different things that may be contributing to storms and stress and pressures in your own life and/or in the lives of different people you know.

We’re all going through something.

I’ve personally experienced seasons where things were falling apart to the point where I’d cry out, God, why am I going through this? I don’t deserve this. Things should be better than this…

Stormy seasons can be stressful, isolating, and massively painful.

And trying to function as you normally would as if things were moving along just fine can be challenging when storms slide through. During stormy seasons, I sometimes think about David, the Psalms he wrote, and the moments he cried out to God during challenging and discouraging times.

Psalm 39:12 reads, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping.”

I don’t believe it’s God’s will for any of us to be miserable. Or in perpetual states of stress, fear, or pressure.

I believe He wants us to have peace and to live abundant lives filled with purpose and joy. And while it’s naive to expect perfection or a life without challenges or pain or loss, I know He wants the best for us and is with us through life’s storms. As difficult as things might seem sometimes, know that you are not alone. And if you’re reading this and in the midst of a storm of any kind, I hope you will be encouraged. I hope you know this too shall pass. Where you’re at and what you’re going through is not the end for you. There is a new beginning that awaits you and this is a vital time to draw near to God, listen to what He instructs you to do, and then move accordingly.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...

Making Waves