When Times Get Tough, We Pick Ourselves Back Up

“A REMINDER FOR TWENTY- TWENTY.

you do not have to stay

where you were planted;

if you are withering in places

that you have the potential to bloom,

you owe it to yourself to uproot.”

—s.r.w @srwpoetry

Cover photo by Michelle Emelda.

Hello my friends! 

I know it has been a while since you’ve heard from me, but thank you for sticking around (even if you forgot you are subscribed to my blog). 🙂 

A lot has happened this past year, and instead of writing about it all, I decided to live through it and reflect on it. After taking some time off from this space, I would like to invite myself back to the table with you. Let’s sit, make ourselves at home, and chat. 

Let’s begin with my favorite part of last year! I got into grad school for Speech-Language Pathology!! My dream is to open my own clinic to treat patients with head/neck cancer, swallowing, and voice disorders. (any other SLPs out there?!)

I also traveled to some amazing places this year with my best friends! My favorites were New Orleans, Albuquerque, Washington DC, and the Passion Conference in Atlanta!  

Learning Through Heartbreak

 Last year I got a great job related to my field, but it took a huge toll on my mental and emotional well-being. I quit that job after 9 months and worked a seasonal job at a retail store to finish off the year. When I quit my job, I actually took a month off to give myself room to breathe and get perspective. I learned that no workplace or leader is perfect, but respect and compassion are needed to thrive at work. Also I learned I definitely shouldn’t bring my sarcasm to work. 

I lived through the heartbreaks of a lost romance and losing a friend to cancer. It was also heartbreaking to work in a place where I loved my co-workers, but I didn’t feel valued as a worker. Despite all of that, God still showed up and saved me from my own misery by bringing hope back into my life. 

God’s Hope

God’s hope looks a lot like intentional friends, my loving family, and never going a day without the guidance and protection I need. It’s giving me a new job where my bosses are kind and easy-going professionals. It’s a “win” when I needed it the most. It’s the grace to be resilient in the face of heart break and firmly say, “I will get through this.”

God’s hope doesn’t depend on how good or bad I am,

but on how good and loving GOD is. 

He showed me that life is so much bigger than this year. His purposes in our lives stretch far beyond what I see only in front of me. Honestly, there were times this year that I couldn’t see myself being okay again. I felt hopeless as I looked to Jesus as a lost sheep aching to come home. Yet God called my name out of the grave. He gave me the strength to get back up when I couldn’t do it myself.

Life has it’s ups and downs. We aren’t guaranteed a long and easy life. However, we are also NEVER alone. God promises in his Word that He is close to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18), that his power is made perfect in my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9), and joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

You’ll be hearing from me soon! Please let me know how you’re doing below. Love you guys!

Petit à Petit,

PS: Listen to this music, and take these words to heart as I have this year. 

PPS: Dancing is not required, but highly suggested 😉