Lysa TerKeurst
About the Author

Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has lead thousands over the past 15 years to help make their walk with God an invigorating journey. Not...

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  1. Thank you so much for this post… for the rawness and honesty, for the encouragement and hope.

    I’m 8 months pregnant with our first child, and I am afraid that someday I’m going to feel the same way. I love my little baby so much, but am so afraid also of the changes that are coming.

    Your words about it being a season that I need to walk through with God’s help is something I need to remind myself constantly about. While you might not have reached the end of your season, I want to encourage you to hang on to God, and be still and let our Father shepherd us through our seasons of change, of sacrifice, of hope and of joy.

    May He bless your walk and the family you have been given unto overflowing in all the ways that matter the most.

  2. i am there too. trying to find pollyanna in the process i am going through. i put on a smile but know that it is not genuine. it is there because i will it to be, but the heart behind the smile doesn’t follow along as easily. oh God why do you tarry so long? my child i do not tarry. your hope is coming. your hope is there. look for it. find it. seek it with all your heart. seek me with all your heart. i am the peace that you need. but God i’m weary. and worried. and wandering. and i’m sorry. so sorry that my faith is so small. help me Lord to have a deeper faith. help me to have a stronger faith. help me to have faith that moves mountains. my child, listen to your prayers and know…that this process is giving you that faith.

    • You have just described my life!! I too have that fake smile and I am so tired of it. I want to remember what real joy feels like. So in spite of what is going on I keep on going and bottom line is in spite of what the enemy is doing we need to find God in the middle and be grateful and Praise Him.

    • Thank you for this response. My world is upside down with no end in sight. But I know my God will see me and my kids through to a better plan.

  3. I recognize myself in this post. I blogged today about guilt and how satan uses it to manipulate us.

    Oh he’s a crafty one.

  4. So needed this today. Different circumstances but, the feelings are the same. Thank you for the hope and encouragement!

  5. Thank you. In the car this morning I pictured my life right now as being stuck in a hallway, where all the doors are locked. We need the Lord to show up and show out, but it’s not yet happening. So we continue to wait in the hallway. Thank you for the encouragement.

  6. Oh this so totally helped me, I have been in that situation (to that extreme) twice in my life. It is so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, isn’t it? Thanks so much for this encouraging word today.

    Mary

  7. Lysa,
    These words were exactly what i needed to hear. Im in a season of feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated.
    I know this won’t last forever, and i know HE has gone before me and paved the way.
    So, i will trust in Him.

    • Me too! I needed to hear this – I lost the love of my life a year and a half ago and it sent me that dark place. I also have been unemployed for 18 of the last 24 months and it is wearing me down. No answers are forthcoming and I’m just waiting, waiting! I need Him now more than ever.

  8. You’ve been peaking in my windows again Lysa! 🙂 As commented above, “overwhelmed and unappreciated”. Something has to change and it needs to be me. Thank you for your words today.

  9. Thank you Lysa for your honesty! I have been in this exact same spot for several years. The part where you talked about looking in the window, while others were having fun and laughing and such, really spoke to my heart. I am living with chronic illness and most of the time feel stuck, while others are going on with their lives as normal, I have had to adjust to this different life. I don’t know how long this season will last, but I do know that I cling to God everyday during this difficult season. I know that God has a plan and is using this season in my life for a bigger purpose. Thank you so much for your encouraging words!!

    • Kim,

      I feel for you having to live with chronic pain. Earlier this year I did something to my shoulder and the pain is getting worse–thus I truly understand how you feel.
      Praying for a quick healing from the Great Healer!!

    • I can truly relate. Ive had fibromyalgia for many years. Very few people understand what it takes sometimes to get through the day. On hard days I feel like the world goes on without me.

  10. I often fell like running away… just getting in the car and driving till I run out of gas. Like Michael J Fox my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at a young age – 39. But unlike Fox we don’t have unlimited resources. I am his sole caregiver and the sole breadwinner.

    My “season” is now in it’s 23rd year.

    A person doesn’t die from Parkinson’s they just get worse and worse until they choke to death or die from pneumonia.

    Hanging on to God is my only hope.

  11. I appreciate this so much…I feel like this most days abt a couple situations in my life! Putting on a smile is sometimes the hardest thing I have to do in a day. A very dear friend encourages me alot with the very words “it is only for a season”. I know God wants whats best for our family and my hope is in Him or else I couldnt get through each day..jst waiting and keeping my head above water is the trying part. Ready for the Spring season..and to move out of this Winter season..its been around waaaaaaay too long!!!

  12. Our 18 yr. old daughter is living in rebellion and I feel as though we have lost her. I can hardly move forward each day, the disappointment and sadness feel like quick sand. I am praying that this is one of those seasons. I will hold fast!

    • I felt compelled to comment to you Kim. Do not lose hope with your daughter, I’ve seen it happen near to me. Someone seemingly quite far gone, turned their life around and returned to God. There is hope for your daughter. ((Hug))

    • I too, have a 16 year old in amazingly blinded rebellion. I will pray for your child. I feel so alone, especially at church, looking at all the families with their kids seemingly intact. Seems unfair and I’m jealous of them. I feel guilty and angry all at the same time. What did I do wrong? I’m grateful, so grateful, that’s its only for a season.

    • Our eldest went off the deep end: drug/alcohol addiction, running away, lying, stealing, multiple arrests, etc. He even lived through a drug overdose. It seemed like we spent years on our faces before the Lord, begging for Him to intercede. I loved, loved, loved him, even when it was the farthest thing from my heart. Today he has been clean and sober (1 1/2 years) and is wondering how he can use his experiences to help others! It that not AMAZING?! Our God LOVES prodigals and he came to reclaim that which was lost! Do not lose heart. Pray and watch His mighty works.

    • Someone told me a couple years ago when we were in a dark place with our daughter. They will return to what they know is right, that doesn’t give us a day, hour or year. I kept telling myself that and now I think the light is beginning to shine in.

    • My Mom has gone through something similar with 2 of my brothers… one is back home (has been for about 5 years now) and is marrying a wonderful girl in just 5 weeks. He learned his lesson (the hard way) but he’s a MUCH better person because of it. My Mom often says that we have no idea what she went through and just how low she got during that time. My other brother has straightened up somewhat, but still has a ways to go. Thinking of you during this hard time. Just remember that as much as it may feel like it, you are not alone in this.

  13. Thank you so much for this post! You have been such an encouragement to me the last couple months as I’ve followed your posts on Proverbs 31. About a month ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I know that what I’m going through is just a season but it so hard to see out of it. Last night I just had this thought of I wish I could just run away! And I experienced the same guilt and tears that you did. It’s so reassuring to know I’m not the only one. I feel completely unworthy of God’s love and what he has blessed me with right now because of the feelings I’m having. Thank you for your inspiration and honesty.

    • Amy The Lord lead me to pray for you. May his comfort be all encompassing during this time.

  14. Lysa,

    You’ve described me for the last few years. I was in a deep deep “funk” of dislike for my job. Couldn’t be happy, always sad or even mad at some choices I had made that put me here. Cried myself to sleep soo many a night–wishing away this season. Yes I just wanted to run and run far far away from this icky place of work!

    Fortunately after much much prayer God came swooping in & changed a few things & now the job is ok–not truly liking it, but not hating it either.

    I know that this is not permanent. I can change my job situation any time I choose, but I must consider if this is where God wants me for now!

    • This completely describes me. Only, I added a hefty dose of guilt for not being able to line up with God’s will. I am still in the pit so to speak, I hardly smile at all. It is funny because I just told someone yesterday that I could just start driving and drive till I ran out of gas. (sad) I never thought of it as a season. That does help. It must be winter.

    • Thank you so much for this post and this reply. Both of you have described my current season and gave honest encouragement. I have no doubt that God lead me to this particular post on in ths very season. I just started following this group yesterday. Thank you and God bless

      • I thank God 4 that post!! Im in a situation where i literally get ill when i pull in the parking lot of my place of employment and i constantly carried a “stuck” feeling with me, i know now that God is going to make a way and that “this too shall pass” While i wait on my change to come im going to trust HIM!!!

        • I know the feeling of sickness when it comes to work. I have never in my life experienced panic attacks, but I have allowed my job to push me to that point. Through a lot of prayer, some time away, and knwoing that God is going ahead of me making my crooked places straight, I know I will make it through this extermely challenging season. One thing is for sure my relationship with God is stronger now than it has been in a long time. Remember to not give up on your faith when you continue to pray and don’t see the answers. Don’t give up! He is on your side.

  15. This message was right on time….thank you so much for the reminder.
    The news I received this morning is discouraging at best…..a disease we believed to be in remission only a week ago has spread….Oh God, as I praised You for remission, I will praise you for this news too. For You are God, Jehova Rapha, The Lord my Healer.
    As much as I want to run, I will stand….because YOU are my foundation.

  16. I found this post in my inbox after I had just said to the Lord, “Are you there?” I had the same running away talk with myself just minutes ago. I too look at smiling, laughing people and wonder if I’ll ever be one of them again. Weariness with situations can lead to the deepest pit when you are pushing yourself and pulling someone else at the same time. There is a way out. One that God will provide and He will receive all the glory. In the meantime, I will continue to live these “Groundhog Days” (I care for my mother who has dementia) believing that God does have a plan and His plan for me is good. Thank you for your honesty. Reading this post after just having the negative thoughts pounding my mind, was the voice of God speaking to my heart. Now I will work on my mind. 🙂

  17. so needed this today as I said out loud I want to run away again Lysa. I am learning it is so hard to stay and love than to run yet the staying is the greatest gift.

    Thank you!

  18. Thank you for sharing this. You have no idea just how much I needed these words today. Bless you!

  19. A daughter about to graduate college doesn’t need me and I thought she did. A son, needed me and I was trying to let him grow…feel overwhelmed with the mysteries of motherhood. Either way, bittersweet and a resulting sleepless night. Thank you for reminding me of the seasonality of life and to Trust.

  20. Thank you so much for this! I really needed it today. I am in one of those funks. I feel trapped and I just want to escape.. the way a wild animal would want to escape a trap—gnaw off my own leg if needed. But I can’t. I need to go on just where I am.

    Thanks for the reminder that this is a season, it too shall pass (someday) and to ask for God’s help in getting through this season.

  21. Lysa,
    Thank you for your perspective on being “stuck” – that these seasons in our life don’t last forever. As someone who has battled anxiety and depression for many years, I encourage your readers that if they feel stuck for a long time and are really losing hope that they seek professional help. Sometimes “this too shall pass” and sometimes you may need medical intervention. Either way, God is faithful to bring us THROUGH the valley and will not leave us stuck there.
    Blessings,
    Bev Duncan @ Walking Well With God

    • Thank you for posting this !! I am suffering for anxiety and depression! This is the hardest thing I have ever went through! Leaning on God for strength and living with my in laws cause I am scared to go home by myself! Praise God that its only for a season!!

      • Dear anonymous,
        I am not a doctor and if you have been experiencing anxiety and depression for some time, you really need to be seen and evaluated by a medical doctor. Some depression passes in time on its own, but in my case, I will share, medication was needed to bring me out of the dark place I was in. Medication is NOT a crutch. Sometimes it is needed to correct the chemical imbalance that is going on in your brain. There is NO shame in that. Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses and not a character flaw. Please, I pray, go see a doctor to get a professional opinion. If you need a friend or encouragement, please contact me at my blog and I will be honored to pray for you!! You are loved dear sister, Bev

  22. My favorite posts are the ones where it seems like the writer must’ve peeked into my heart. This is one of those. Thanks for being transparent, and reminding me that “this too shall pass”. Sometimes, as you said, when you’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to remember that nothing lasts forever.

  23. Thank you for this encouragement. I have found myself there too much lately and this morning isn’t any different. I struggle with anxiety and panic attacks and running away sounds so nice, but you can’t run away from yourself. It is good for me to remember that this is just a season and I can stand because He is holding me. Also what you said about God being okay with me even when I am not okay with myself is meaningful. It is so easy to be tired of myself and my struggles and then project those thoughts onto God. It is refreshing to shine the light of truth on those thought and remember that He doesn’t think like me. Boy am I grateful that His ways are higher than mine and His thoughts are higher than mine!

  24. Lisa-

    I have been there too, exactly feeling that way when my son was little. Thanks for the reminder that it is all a season…. but GOD meets us wherever we are, even when we are in those “pits”. The word that comes to my mind in all of this is TRUST!
    TRUST Ladies, as Lysa said, none of those seasons last forever, and one day you will look back when time has passed and realize that you were NEVER alone!

    • CalebsMomma, I felt your post in my heart. I as well have had some significant health issues for 13 years. Some they have not been able to diagnose, which means no treatment. So we just continue to live a life of sickness. My 13 years and your 16 years is more then a season…it’s what life is. I feel like God has forgotten me as well and after hoping for so long that he will intervene, have now given up hope.

      • Calebsmomma and Chris,

        Philippians 3:10 reads “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” God can take the suffering that we face and turn it into a revelation of who He is. That’s been my consolation in what I’m going through–that God is revealing Himself to me. After all, a revelation of God’s power and person was the end result of all Job’s suffering too. At the end of all Job went through he said, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you…(Job 42:10).”

        I’ve not had to endure as many years as either of you have. I can’t compare my pain to yours. But I can say that, even if for all our lives we must share in the sufferings of our Savior, it is only a tiny fraction of time in comparison to the eternity in which we will share in His resurrection. And I think maybe we share in His sufferings when we submit to the Father’s will for our lives even though we know that His will could at this time mean pain…think of Jesus submission to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus never sinned and so He never should have experienced the wrath of God and the pain of crucifixion, but He endured it for our sake. You may have never done anything to cause whatever you are facing now, but God is allowing it to happen for His purpose and His glory. And the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead will wok in our lives and will one day complete the resurrection in us and we will be free from all pain and suffering.

        I don’t know if that helps you, but that’s part of what encourages me in what God has called me to endure.

        Praying for you both!

      • Calebsmomma and Chris,

        Philippians 3:10 reads “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” God can take the suffering that we face and turn it into a revelation of who He is. That’s been my consolation in what I’m going through–that God is revealing Himself to me. After all, a revelation of God’s power and person was the end result of all Job’s suffering too. At the end of all Job went through he said, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you…(Job 42:10).”

        I’ve not had to endure as many years as either of you have. I can’t compare my pain to yours. But I can say that, even if for all our lives we must share in the sufferings of our Savior, it is only a tiny fraction of time in comparison to the eternity in which we will share in His resurrection. And I think maybe we share in His sufferings when we submit to the Father’s will for our lives even though we know that His will could at this time mean pain…think of Jesus submission to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus never sinned and so He never should have experienced the wrath of God and the pain of crucifixion, but He endured it for our sake. You may have never done anything to cause whatever you are facing now, but God is allowing it to happen for His purpose and His glory. And the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead will wok in our lives and will one day complete the resurrection in us and we will be free from all pain and suffering.

        I don’t know if that helps you, but that’s part of what encourages me in what God has called me to endure.

        Praying for you both!

  25. It is so important to put it in the perspective of Seasons. The bleakness of Winter doesn’t last forever, we go on to turn our faces to the sunshine.

  26. So true I am going through a season of Singleness at 32! And though I know it won’t last Forever to me it seems like it will:) Thanks for the encouragement.

    • Im nearly 44 and have been single for a long time. God’s plan is way bigger and much better than ours….let Him search for you…His choice is the perfect choice for you. And don’t forgery….God’s Speed….have faith in him!!! I have learned what true patients is…..bless your mind, heart and soul…. with love
      B

  27. so there in being stuck, but i don’t have kids so it is a different situation. unemployed for 4 years, losing home and car. working less than 15 hrs a week. this so called season seems unreasonably long to me. but can relate to not seeing any changes or hope even within the next 5 minutes. can’t wait for this season to be over.

  28. how well I know this feeling; not fun at all !!! And friends n family DO NOT understand !

  29. this article needs to be in every newspaper there is. I think most people have days or weeks they feel this way. for those without God, I wonder how they hang on, or maybe they are the ones that run from their families only to find, life repeating itself somewhere else. Fight or flight…is normal…I guess it’s always surprised me how much I wanted to run.

  30. Wow, I can’t tell you how much I needed to read this today. Going through a very similar circumstance that just transpired yesterday. Thank you for the reminder to hold fast to him, and weather through this season.

  31. This is a good word. I too have wanted to just run away or, at the very least, to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed all day. I am thankful for the truth that you highlighted: God loves me through the good and bad. He’s not mad at me. He wants to protect me.
    I hope that your post will be read today by people who really need to be reminded of these truths.

  32. Im nearly 44 and have been single for a long time. God’s plan is way bigger and much better than ours….let Him search for you…His choice is the perfect choice for you. And don’t forgery….God’s Speed….have faith in him!!! I have learned what true patients is…..bless your mind, heart and soul…. with love
    B

  33. Beautiful honest words! It’s so important to remember that there are others who have faced similar struggles and that we are supposed to support and encourage each other to make it through them!

  34. Let this be an affirmation to you that you were God’s instrument straight for me today. Thank you so much to listen to his prompting!

  35. I recognize myself in this post and say things in the mirror like “I don’t want to…” or “this isn’t fair”. thank you for the reminder!

  36. thank you so much for your inspirational devotionals. i have been following you for a few months and really enjoy your messages. this one came exactly when i needed it. i have been in a funk for the past week or two, trying not to cry at every little disappointment, incorrect decision and setback. i thank my Father for leading me to the Proverbs 31 website, the Called Magazine website and all othere devotionals i read especially the ones that you write, Lysa. you have truely been an inspiration and a real Girlfriend in God =0))

  37. I swear sometimes I feel like you are in my head. I love how you describe what has happened to me. My babies were 15 months apart and adopted as infants. I didn’t prepare for the darkness that would cloud the blessings. Thank you for sharing your heart and being real! If you lived next door we’d just have to be friends!! 🙂

  38. Lysa, we have done two of your Bible studies at my church, and I have read several of your other books on my own…I love all of them. Your daily inspirational messages are always just what I need to hear at the time…and I need to hear something encouraging every day. This blog spoke to me because I, too, feel right now like I am stuck in a situation that has no hope. I am so sad all the time and even feel like I can’t teach my class anymore because I can’t get victory over my feelings of insecurity, sadness, and depression. Thank you for your ministry! You have helped me numerous days and times.

  39. Thanks for sharing this raw emotion. I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Sometimes the wild thought passes through my mind while I’m in the car, “keep driving and don’t come back”. The guilt at having that thought, even if it’s just a fleeting thought , is horrible. I have a son with autism and sometimes life is so overwhelming and I’m often mentally exhausted. His struggles and challenges seem to consume me. Enter more guilt for feeling this way, because he is such a miracle and with God’s guidance, he has turned into an incredible teenager; he’s such a gift from God. I don’t know what I would do without God to rely on, HIS mighty love keeps me going and his presence calms me when I feel like I just can’t keep going.

  40. Thank you for opening your heart. I am there also. I am stuck. I have fabulous children, amazing blessings but I am so overwhelmed since my husband walked out on us. Some days I can’t see past the rock on top. I beg for God’s mercy. I beg for the light. I feel Him. I long to hear Him clearly again. Thank you for reminding me I am not alone.

    • Sonya,
      2 yrs ago I went through what you are going through. I know your pain and fear. It will get better. This was not in my plan. But today, I can honestly say that I have more good days than bad. Trust that God has a plan for you and your children. Lean on God when you feel alone because he is always there, you are never alone. God will show you your strength. I will pray for you.

    • 2 yrs ago I went through what you are going through. I know your pain and fear. It will get better. This was not in my plan. But today, I can honestly say that I have more good days than bad. Trust that God has a plan for you and your children. Lean on God when you feel alone because he is always there, you are never alone. God will show you your strength. I will pray for you.

  41. I so have experienced the very same feelings but with different circumstances and I’m happy to say God brought me through just a few short months ago. It took a lot of prayer and support from a close friend. Now my marriage is restored there is no more mental or physical abuse in my home. And no more bad thoughts and wondering if things would ever get better.

  42. thank you so much! i was feeling SO STUCK today! 7 days a week of kids in sports is a season, it will not last forever! things will change, i will HOLD FAST to my God!

  43. Had my baby girl fourteen months ago. . At age 42 been in ppd for some long months. … like being trapped in a black dark cold cave….and not knowing how to get out. … thank you for these Godly words of encouragement. … may God help us all. ..

  44. thank you for this today!!! Today I am not brave, I am not courageous, and surely am not clothed in dignity…Clinging to God’s love

  45. Love this Lisa, your sweet Hope babysits my kids from time to time. She’s a remarkable young lady. I’ve been there can vision picking up the kids medicine. I have to remind myself that I am going to miss this season. My youngest is just about out of diapers and that makes me both happy and sad 🙂 Love your ministry!

  46. Lysa,

    Thank you. I needed this. I got the run-away feeling again on Sunday & I can’t, i just can’t. I am being reminded that God is there. He is waiting for me to fall in His arms, to cry out to Him. i struggle so hard with all that. i forget that He’s with me thru this really hard season. God bless you Lysa!

  47. Thank you for this reminder. As I strive to let go of these circumstances, it is good to be reminded that this is a season, not forever. God has good plans. My 18 yo High school Dtr moved out in anger & rebellion after her 18th birthday. She is not in communication w/me, but w/her father, who was not around to raise her due to his job (good cop/bad cop). We are like a single married couple. She is demanding that we send her to college & my spouse has agreed much to my chagrin. I struggle in letting go & letting God do His job, not mine. God has a better plan than mine for all of us. And this is a season with another GOOD season to follow as soon as I let go.

    • Paula,
      Don’t be afraid to trust God to work through the leadership of your husband. He has designed it to be that way; and He will honor you for obeying and trusting Him to work through your husband, even if his decisions seem wrong to you.

      Perhaps God will bring your daughter to Himself through someone she is yet to meet at the college she will choose? Perhaps anything; we don’t know all that God knows. Don’t be afraid to trust. It’s okay to pour out your heart to God and share your true feelings, and to let your husband know how you feel, too; but to surrender the right to make this decision, and to trust your husband’s leadership is to delight God’s heart, because you’re leaving it up to Him.

  48. I can’t thank you enough for reposting this. If no one else needed it, I certainly did. I am a pastor’s wife and I find myself in a very difficult season of my life. I certainly know what I am supposed to be thinking and how I am supposed to be responding but sometimes life is just really hard. I have been experiencing thoughts of deep doubt and anguish. I feel very alone. But it is just like God to use a post just like this to encourage me and give me the specific word I needed. Thank you Lord for using your servant Lysa to minister to me right here, right now. This too shall pass!

  49. Thank you God for hearing my cry today and leading me to see this! I am in that dark funk, I am stuck and dont like my situation. And I said “God, what do I do? What am I supposed to do now?” I used those very words saying how I am stuck. God hears and answers our prays, our cries for reassurance and peace of mind. Thank you for following Gods leading in writing this!

  50. Thank you for being led by the Holy Spirit to post this. You can’t even imagine how timely this was for me. Despair had tried to overtake me in a situation that seems like its never going to get better. But I am encouraged at this moment. Thank you!

  51. Oh my how I needed this today!! I was fired from my job last month. I am broken. I see no change in my situation. I believe but dear Lord, HELP MY UNBELIEF!! I need a job. I need hope. I need my Saviour.

  52. Thank you for this today……I have felt stuck (hopeless too) so much,…..it is painful and isolating…….This is encouraging……..God is not a respecter of persons so I feel like there is hope for me……..

  53. Thankyou for sharing this. Very timely! I had received some very disappointing news today and God reminded me that this is only a season like other seasons and this too shall pass. Tired and weary and living with chronic pain. Packing and moving. Not fun!
    My pastor shared, among other scriptures, the following scripture on Sunday during his sermon: Isaiah 55:8-9 The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” NCV
    God hugs and loves like no one else can. He know how to reach down into the deepest places where we hurt and pour His healing balm on them. Thank You, Jesus for loving us in all our messiness and thank You for not leaving us there but You pick us up and carry us to a higher plane. Thank You that Your Word says in Jeremiah 29:11 You have a good and perfect plan for my life.
    Be encouraged today, dear sisters!!! Jesus is in the boat and He will take us safely to the other side

  54. Thank you so much for this, it was just what I needed and what everyone else shared as well. My prayers are for all of you, my sisters. DON’T GIVE UP!
    I CAN do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me.
    WOW!

  55. Thank you for your encouraging post. It truly speaks to me and the dark funk that I feel myself slip in and out of. The looming notion of an impending family move. Away from the hometown I have ever known, all friends and family are here. Thinking of God moving our family scares me to death. But I know that the Lord is with me, walking with me, holding me and my family by our right hands. My God is greater and creates all situations in His perfecr timing and will for our lives. Most mornings when I wake up, I get that sudden dark funk feeling. I have to repeat “I trust you God” and believe it! He makes one foot go before the other!

  56. So needed this. We are ‘stuck’ in an awful business situation. It is rocking my everything. I feel like i am in constant contact with the Lord and the deep dark is constantly pressing in. I have lost weight, sleep and sanity. I am forever changed. I am so thankful for the reminder that this is a season, an end will come…i am clinging to my Lord and your reality check. Thank you.

  57. Thank you so much for this post! I’ve been facing some situations and I really felt like I had no way out. Thank you for helping me see that God is in the mist of it all.

  58. I am 8 weeks pregnant today. Went to ultrasound yesterday and No Heartbeat. This is my 4th Preg. I have two beautiful daughters. 3rd was an early miscarriage… This one is really hard, because I am still having pregnancy symptoms and have had no bleeding or cramping. I truly feel stuck. Normally I am a very nervous person, but at the moment I feel such an overwhelming feeling of peace. My precious friends are all praying go me… Prayer is sooo Power!

  59. Wow, your words really touched me deeply! I hate that ‘stuck’ feeling where I feel immobilized and worthless, when I just sit there staring not knowing what to do about the situation upon me. Even though I trust God, it’s good to be reminded that it is only a season. I pray for the light at the end of this season. (I include all you lovely ladies who shared in this prayer too…God is faithful and will never leave us or forsake us)!
    I think I will always remember your words, Lisa. Thanks so much for sharing and blessings to you!

  60. Today I was feeling might low, felt like being pulled into darkness. I hate that feeling, so I went to the gym to blow some steam. As I worked on the treadmill, I started to pray asking God why I feeling this way, searching for answers. L know God love me, and I love him so very much, but sometimes I feel like allow myself to get disconnected. Why I ask him? Why am I going through so many changes, when will these feeling go away. I do love reading your words of encouragement, and now I have your book unglued. I can identify a lot of things in that book, I not to long got the book, so I am still reading it . I love how you written this book, it’s speaking to me, but today I had a ready bad day so if you may pray for me Lysa. I ask God to show me the way in my spiritual growth. I also hope as I continue reading this book I can get much more closer with my spiritual side, but more importantly to the Lord. Thank ahead of time for your prayers. . Caren

  61. Thank you for the encouraging post. My situation is wearing me down and I just want to climb under a rock and hide. Each day I get up, put a smile on and lean God for the strength I need each day. It is Gods time frame not mine.

  62. Thank u Lisa, this is for me. I am just in tears but because i know God knows my deep pain and i get this today

  63. Thank you for this timely encouragement. My husband of 20 years has just confessed to years of lies, betrayal and porn addiction. He has informed me that he now intends to act out his fantasies with other women, regardless of whether or not I leave him. I am shattered and can barely care for my 2 young children through my shock and grief. It is so comforting to be reminded that “this, too, shall pass”. Thank you again!

  64. Dear Lisa , my babies are grown now. I remember those days of four little ones, no sleep,work, college, laundry etc…… Now I look back and am proud to have been strong enough to keep going. We went to church, the children and I . But I still felt no way like other moms describe motherhood.
    Now I know he was only a thought away, God.

  65. Thank you so much. One often wonders if others feel the same way. Good to know that I am not the only one that has these dark moments. God is the core of my life! If I did not have God in my life I don’t know where I would be . Every time I cry out he sends me messages like the one I received from you today. He has answered every time with out fail. Not sure where or how life is going to be like but one thing I am sure of I am not alone.

  66. Thank you! The dark funk is so overpowering at times. Thank you for helping me to refocus and remember that God is in control, and He is always there for me even in the funk.

  67. I’ve read this before, but REALLY NEEDED it today. Thank you, Lysa, for your ministry, and thank you, God, for your love and for Lysa.

  68. Thank you for this post. I got up this morning still feeling “stuck”, as I have for the last year, and it was a great reminder that our God is always, always in control and never far away.

  69. I just want to say to you all your bravery in sharing your stories is such a blessing. That we can admit our sins and fears so that God’s glory can be witnessed by others is incredible! I will be praying for all if you, my sisters!

    I want to share with you my story. For a decade, I have been in an abusive marriage. I allowed myself to believe the lies about myself that were false, but I couldn’t see that they were, and that my heavenly Father was the only one who knew me and what I was capable of. So instead I perpetuated lies and sin in my life, and the lives of my husband and children. I became a scared, meek little shell of a person who his everything about my life from everyone. I lied, thinking I was protecting the people I loved, but it only piled on the damage. God stepped in and made moves in our life just before real and true disaster struck, and forced me to open my eyes to the danger of what I was doing. I was putting my kids through things no kid should ever have to witness, I was wallowing in sin instead of turning it over to God and letting him work on me. I was also putting myself in between my husband and God instead of getting out of the way and letting God work in my husband’s life.
    I couldn’t see any of this on my own because I had allowed Satan to blind me. But let me tell you, God has a plan and he WILL see to it that you know he’s there! He put some incredible women in my life who, in obedience to him, forced me to be truthful and accountable. I can’t even begin to tell you what an incredible blessing it was to finally not be in hiding anymore! God has given me the ability to breathe again! For years I walked around holding my breath, waiting for the floor to fall out from underneath me. I can finally breathe now because I know now and really believe that, hey, so the floor may fall, but God’s hands are bigger than any floor and I can choose to stand in his hands, not on shaky floors. What an incredible relief, to know that though I have sinned and will ultimately sin over and over again, his hands will never ever ever let me go. That love stuns me and awes me daily.

    I pray that my children find this joy and peace God freely gives in their lives. And I pray that one day my husband will see it, feel it, know it, and accept the love and grace and forgiveness that God is extending to him.

    God truly is an amazing Father, and I am overwhelmed by him!

  70. thank you for the encouraging words that we all need to hear. I’m a single mom of 2 girls and I want to be a Godly example for them. I was supposed to be getting married but felt God tell me to give the ring back & it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I have to trust that God only wants what’s best for me even when it feels like everything is broken. I’m trusting that the end will be better than the beginning.

  71. Dear Lysa,
    I wasn’t going to comment seeing that so many already have. But you need to know how mghtly the Lord is using you. You have struck a cord with so many with this post. Thank you for sharing of yourself and allowing us to see that it isn’t just us, as we usually think that everybody else has it all together. My children are 22,19,14. I was a stay at home mom for 20 years and in the mist of those years we had various trials including my middle son having a cancerous brian tumor (PTL he survived). My dream was to have children and just be a Mom. I got my wish along with the bumps in the road and now come to find that because of my middle ones illness and all the attention that had to go to him it has really hurt my other two children. They also have ill feelings toward the one that was sick. I think they probably resent him. I thought I was doing a good job of tending to everyone, but there are still hurts. I feel so depressed, feeling like I’ve scarred them and it wasn’t my intention. Lord what happened? what could I have done different?….. Now it’s too late. I feel stuck and like I wasted all these years.

  72. Keys in hand, ready to flee this morning and never look back… so, so tired of being stuck. Just what i needed to hear, thank you!

  73. Amen!!!! AMEN!!! Thank you to all the ladies leaving comments that are encouraging as well!

  74. Thank you for this. While I have no children, I feel just how this devotion describes. My mother has a lot of health issues and I know they are not going to get any better. Here lately, I have felt like one of those few who were able to get a seat on a Titanic lifeboat and is now clinging to a piece of wood in icy Atlantic waters. I keep telling myself that hope and help is coming, that God is still here. But it has felt like He has said “honey, I love you, I’ve got this, but I need to be in Rome with the Pope thing right now. Hang on.” And my feelings of that nature have made me feel even worse. Thank you for this

  75. Just last night my thoughts as I fell asleep were “I’m done. I give up. No more.” I felt ready to quit my marriage, our ministry, parenting… yesterday was another dark day in a season of dark days. It’s no irony that this blog came to my inbox today. It has boosted me just enough for today. I am clinging to the thought that ‘this too shall pass’ and yet it’s been building for years and years. I long to know what step I need to take next to get out of this horrible pattern of living in misery. It’s been encouraging to read the other posts – thank you to each for sharing.

  76. I want to say thank you too, Lysa. I have been feeling exactly this way this week. Sad because a short-term work contract is ending (I thought it would be extended), an issue at work hanging over my head, living in a house-share with people in their 20’s, worry about my future and seeing no movement (40 and single has become such a tight and claustrophobic place to be). I feel stuck. And I’ve been leaning away from God, blaming him because I truly believe he told me I’d be married and have kids. It’s not too late, but getting there!!!! So I’m anxious. I really, really needed this today. My remedy? Worship… it’s the key to victory and even if I don’t feel like doing it, I started this morning again, and so much came up and out to God. It’s truly a tonic. As are your words.. THANK YOU again!

  77. This is my season of waiting. I’m waiting for things to get easier/better at work, I’m waiting to find a house to rent, I’m waiting to know if I should look for a new job and I’m waiting for someone to share my life with. I need to be patient I know. I need to trust in God and I do! I couldn’t have made it this far without Him. I’m just getting tired.

  78. I am just coming out of my funky season. I have followed my heart and talents to Boys Town as a family consultant. I truly feel lead to help other parents through their struggles by using mine to share and teach all that I have learned and am still learning.

  79. This really hit me–hard! I’ve been through these times, gotten through them with God’s help, and somehow get into them again. My goal / New Year’s Resolution for 2013 is to always remember that God is always with me and always on my side. I just need to remember and remember and remember, etc. and hold on to HIM! Your post today was a reminder again that no matter what, God is there. Thank you, Jesus, and thank you, Lysa, for this post today. God’s timing is always perfect.

  80. In the midst of some pretty tough stuff… I have been surrounded on all sides by God… but I know that this won’t go on forever. This post is JUST what I needed to hear today. Make my achy – confused heart thump a little more solidly. Thank you.

  81. My husband and I have been separated for one year and a month now. We have three young, beautiful kids (7, 5, 3). We’ve been going to counseling individually since our separation and then started couples therapy in October – we are still stuck. I don’t know where we’re going and it just seems like even with all this intense hard work with therapy, nothing is changing and it’s even getting worse. I want nothing more than our story to be one of God’s redemption and to bring glory to His name. My husband just doesn’t seem to have the same desire and I’m absolutely devastated. I feel like I’m lost in the desert and have no idea how long this will go on for. I’m often driving and honestly feel like taking a left turn, and keep drive until no one can find me or this trial passes. I just can’t see past this storm at the moment. God has powerfully shown me several times over the past year that He’s there, but He’s just so silent right now and it’s frustrating. God, where are you? Please save my marriage, please show me you’re with me. I need a miracle.

  82. This post was exactly what I needed. I’ve been going through some tough times lately, my dad died and was brought back and then suffered a stroke in ICU. A week and 1/2 later my brother had carotid surgery and two days later they could not wake him up, he had a brain bleed that shifted his brain 2 1/2 cm (5 times more than is considered recoverable). A week later my sister-in-law turned off the machines even though he was moving his toes and fluttering his eyes. I just wanted to give more time for God to heal him, but the choice was not mine or my family’s. Two weeks later my dad’s brother who we are very close to passed away. We could not tell my dad any of this per his doctors because he still needs to have 2 surgeries and his weakened state. My dad was finally asking so many questions that I had to tell him. In the midst of caring for my dad, my husband tells me he thinks we are having marital problems because I am not home enough. At this point I am looking to run in the other direction, but God is so good. Our pastor’s message was about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsamane and how the picture is always painted so sweetly but he believes Jesus was under great pressure. Gethsamane means “pressing”, he said God will press you to get the best out of you and if He brought you to it then he will bring you through it.

  83. just a quick note that sometimes all in the world can be seeming okay and we still want to run. we can not forget that it does not always have to be a tragedy or problem going on for one of our sisters to be still be seeking and wanting to run and then we deal with guilt on top of it all since life seems to be “going well” so we just have to remember to look for Him..thank you for the encouragement and reminder

  84. Well i am 14 and my sister is 17 and she just picks on me saying i have not friends because i am rude and ugly. She also calls me a bitch all the time and i just cant take it anymore. My parents dont do anything about it and that really makes me mad. I try not to show my sister that Im hurt and sad when she says thoses thing but it hard not to. She loves it when i am hurt she doesnt like me happy at all. She says she loves me ONLY ON MY BIRTHDAY BUT SHE DOESNT. I am the youngest and i just dont know what to do. I just think i should run away. I have 3 sibling and the only who shows me love is my oldest brother but i never get to see him. SO I JUST WANT TO RUN AWAY!!!!!!! FROM EVERYONE. But I am too young 🙁