Do I really have to experience all of this?

There is so much going on in the world right now. Hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, mudslides, and multitudes of senseless crimes are being seen around the world in epic proportions. It has led me (and I am sure you as well) to ask the question WHY?  Why all the pain and suffering we see daily? What is the purpose? When being inundated with information it is so easy to get swept away into the media frenzies which keeps us aware but also causes residual trauma from overexposure. When you log out of social media for the day and turn off the TV; how are you dealing with your own personal trials and struggles? How are you processing both what you have taken in and what you are personally experiencing?  Life has a way of bringing issue after issue and before you can catch your breath and recover yet another issue has hit you.

In my personal journey I have experienced so many trials and I have asked God, WHY? Why is it always something? Why can I never catch a break? Do I really have to experience all of this? What is the point? It seemed as if God had placed me in a pit and the more I tried to dig myself out the harder it became to see the light of day. It wasn’t until I decided that I could not walk this journey alone that I was able to empower myself to no longer be a victim but rather use my struggles as a testimony to others. There is no shame in admitting that you cannot do it alone. There is power in transparency and asking for help. Sometimes, your prayer needs to transform from “Lord move this mountain” to “Lord give me the strength to climb”. I cannot tell you why you are experiencing that pain. I cannot answer why we are seeing such tragedy in the world; but what I know for sure is that you are not alone. God gives us one another to lean on in our times of weakness. If you find that you are struggling please reach out to a trusted family member, friend, minister, and/ or counselor. You do not have to walk this journey alone. You never know who is watching you and depending on your testimony to get them through their own personal journey.

Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”