Trusting God With Your Pain

August 26, 2020, a day that left an indelible mark in my life forever .
You know those kind of days you cross off in your calendar because they hold a special significance to you? Such as birthdays, important achievements, memorable events…
Well this was one of such days for me, just not one that gives me any joy when I think about it.
It’s safe to say it’s the worst day of my life so far.

Waking up to start your day, you never know what the day holds for you. You start the day with hope and expectations but by the end of the day, it literally feels like your whole world has been turned upside down… crashed down on you
For me this day August 26 was one that ended in such immense pain than I couldn’t find words to express.

On this day, I got news of my mother’s passing. So unexpected and untimely that till today it still feels unreal to me. My mind hasn’t been able to grasp the reality. There are some things you know to be true but reconciling knowledge with emotions isn’t always easy.

When you’ve trusted God with all of you and such a big blow hits you, how do you trust Him again with your pain? How do you turn your “pain into gain” like my sisters have been writing in previous posts for the past weeks?

It’s easy to say a lot when you haven’t actually faced any major challenges and trials to your  faith. I have written quite a lot on this blog about faith and about trusting God. But now that I find myself in a real situation where I actually have to practice what I’ve preached and what I believe … what I still believe, I must tell you it’s not the easiest thing to do. In fact it is hard! It’s like going into an exam room after you’ve studied your head off. You have the knowledge,  but now it’s time to put it to test and you feel inadequate.

So what do you do if you find yourself in this same position like me? Where you have all the knowledge but it’s still just a freaking hard test? Where your faith is being tested beyond the limits? When you have so many “Whys”. How do you trust God through all these?

1. Take it one day at a time.

Don’t put pressure on yourself.  One thing I’ve learned from writing exams is you have to calm down so you can think clearly. When you get in that exam room and there’s so much pressure on you to perform, your heartbeat racing and all, you might miss it.
Take it one day at a time Sister. God is patient with you. Don’t let anyone put pressure on you to “perform”. Go through your pain, let it go through you. Don’t rush the process.  However, the key words are “GO THROUGH THE PAIN” don’t REMAIN in it.

2. Tell God EXACTLY How You Feel 

Express your emotions to God. Have an honest conversation with him, even if it feels like He’s quiet and not responding, He can hear your every word. Pour out your heart to Him. Tell Him you are confused, angry, bitter, disappointed… whatever it is you feel, tell him exactly that. There’s no need to play religion with God. He’s your father.

3. Understand That What You Feel and What You Know Aren’t Always Going to Match up

The word of God prepares you for days of adversity. Days like these. When you are in pain, when you’ve been disappointed your expectations unmet or your dreams shattered, your emotions are the last thing you should listen to or trust. At that time that’s what will be used against you by the evil one. What you should focus on is the knowledge of God’s word. All that has been stored inside of you. That’s why it’s important as a Christian to study God’s word everyday – especially when you are at your best- because when you aren’t, when its difficult to open up that Bible, what has already been stored up in you by the Spirit will come in handy.

Listen girl, I don’t have it all figured out, I’m not going to be very honest if I don’t tell you  I’m struggling through this season. I’m struggling to pray, struggling to trust God, struggling to hope…
If you are going through a really tough trial all I can say is hang in there. Remember that the ultimate goal of the devil is your soul. That’s what he’s after. Hold on with every shred of strength left in you to your faith. Don’t let him win.

I’d love to hear your stories. I can’t tell you how much other people’s stories of the trials they faced strengthened me through this period. There’s a different kind of encouragement you can give when you’ve actually been there!
Please share your stories. Uplift someone out there. Uplift me!

Also if you’d like a one on one talking session. Just someone to talk to about your pain. Sometimes that’s all you need – someone who will listen. Reach out to us on email/Facebook/Instagram. We will listen and help in anyway we can.

God bless you