i'm hanging on by a thread

"Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away."

are you going through something that whatever you try to resolve just ends up forming a new difficulty? I know many of us have gone through situations in our life where we question, "how much hope do I have left in me?" "how much longer can I take this?" you could have a friend betray you. your significant other cheat on you. your family lie to you. a loved one pass away. a rough year. medical crisis. whatever it is that is going on in your life, you're hanging on by a thread. you sit there in tears wondering where is God? where is this hope? you think of everything that has gone wrong. you think of what you've done wrong and replay it over and over in your head. you go through all these options in your mind to figure out the main problem. but of all those questions and worries, all you really need to hear is what is best for you. you can do it. there is still hope left. today is bad but tomorrow is a new day. its a fresh start. tomorrow you will be stronger. but the main thing is:

never give up. you need that thread.

as we near the end of 2017, I like to sit and reflect on this past year. the year that brought me the most heart ache. the most struggles. the most challenges. lessons about myself and others. and the most changes within myself. this year i've felt I have been hanging on by a thread. I remember sitting in my room one night praying to Jesus and telling him," I know You are here, even when it feels like you aren't. I know You hear me, even when it feels like You don't. I need you more than ever right now."

but I soon realized, through Jesus' grace....He is the thread.

it's ok to feel lost. it's ok to struggle. it's ok to feel scared. it's ok to fail. it's ok to be going through something difficult. we are human. do not give up. do not stop hoping. do not stop believing. do not stop praying. you are on your way to change, to growth, and to the other side of this mess that life has thrown at you. it's easy to pretend that what you're going through isn't hard, but hope isn't about pretending that these dark times don't exist. it's about believing that Jesus promises darkness does not last forever. it's trusting that He will heal your heart. when the world doesn't make sense, your wrongs are never right, and the truth is too hard to find, Jesus is that thread that makes your weakness become strength. He is the light at the end of the tunnel. He is your breath of fresh air. He is the weight lifted off your shoulders. He is worth every tear you have shed and every plead for help. He is your lighthouse in a hurricane.

to those who are hanging on by a thread in their lives right now, I tell you this:

Jesus is your hope. Jesus is your anchor. Jesus is the answer. Luke 18:1 says, "Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." when we pray, it shouldn't be in the moment just so we can get what we want. we pray because Jesus is powerful and He has a plan for our lives. when we pray, we are yielding our life to allow Jesus to come into ours and take control. we trust His wisdom. we trust and believe His promises. all those moments you felt like you are hanging on by a thread, it's because Jesus is preparing something better in your life for you. that thread will have been worth it and He will make clear of His plan for you. what is broken can be put back together. what is hurt can be healed.wipe the slate clean and open your heart to new beginnings. tomorrow is a new day. tomorrow is a second chance. the sun will rise again.

in the midst of your struggles, pray this:

"Lord, in the difficulty I face today, guard my heart, guide my words, and show Your grace. May I always turn to You in prayer."