Oooooh! Encouraging words for you here!
When your life starts to look unrecognizable,
When you press your hands against your closed eyes and whisper, “How did we even get here?”
When you feel like you’re the only one who can’t get her ducks in a row,
Remember this …
Nobody has their act together all the time.
Everybody’s got somethin’.
We all have chapters in our story that we don’t share or post or read aloud.
Most of us are still trying to find our ducks—getting them in a row is for another day.
And …
We are loved by a God who promises to restore what’s broken.
He heals our hearts.
He gives us new beginnings and new chapters.
It’s hard enough to move through the day when life has turned upside down and we can’t stop paddling in circles, isn’t it? We pile on more frustrations and resentment and hurt when we start believing that everybody else has it all together. And we lose hope when we believe that nothing will ever change.
So, let’s remember…
We all have a chapter that we don’t read aloud. You are not alone.
AND
God promises that we can start a new chapter.
We can’t take back words we’ve said that hurt. We can’t undo actions we took that we regret. And we can’t change bad decisions.
But here’s the encouragement … here’s the HOPE…
God knows all about these things. He cares about them. And he always, always, always gives us a chance to start again.
He does not keep us in a prison of our regrets and “I wish I would have’s …”
Here’s what He promises:
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:110)
NOTE: That means that He loves you no matter what. And when you ask for forgiveness, He gives it to you. Let that settle down deep in your heart!
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
“Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
Messy and hard and hurt don’t last forever.
None of us is without struggles. Some days are glorious. And other days? Can’t we just skip them? We’ve all been there.
The same God who promises us hope, peace, joy, mercy, and restoration, will help us turn the page and start a new chapter. Don’t just gloss over this. This is truth.
You don’t have to do a life overhaul to start again, to keep going.
Even now, right now, you can stop what you’re doing and ask Him to heal, restore, and forgive those moments that are painful.
You are loved by a very gracious God.
Ask Him to help you turn the page and start a new chapter.
