I've seen you a lot, especially this year. You have crept into my life so suddenly, but have stayed for quite a while. You're there when I wake up and there when I go to sleep. You remind me of my past situations and tell me I'm a failure. You tell me that I'm not capable of being loved, and that I'll never find a way to happiness.

But pain, you won't win.

You won't win because I reside on Someone stronger, and Someone greater than you. I lean on Someone who tells me who I am and what my worth is. He tells me that I'm worthy, holy, and set apart. He tells me that I'm, "fearfully and wonderfully made," He reminds me that who I am is not defined by my situations or the people in my life who have hurt me. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." My hope is built on a Rock who will never break.

Life is full of ups and downs. It's full of good people and bad people. It's full of many people who you will trust, yet who will be the ones to break your heart. It's full of life and death. It' full of beautiful first dates, and cruel breakups. And while I could sit here and wallow in self-pity and continually remind myself of the sadness, I'm not going to.

There's so much more to life than dwelling on pain and sorrow. Maybe one person broke your heart, and I'm not saying that this isn't painful, but I'm saying that the pain won't last. If one person can break your heart, someone else can put it back together.

This life is full of so many beautiful people. When I'm sad I think of the sun. The sun rises and sets every single day, and it never ceases to shine. This reminds me of each new day, full of new possibilities and endless joys. This situation may seem like the end of the world, but the sun will rise and set again and again, until whatever is hurting you no longer hurts anymore, and you'll wake up with a smile on your face, realizing you have finally made it.

On top of all this, I remind myself that God has a plan. His plan won't hurt me, but is meant to bring me future joy. These hard situations are meant to strengthen me into the person I'm supposed to be, and equip me for future life lessons. I'm thankful I've encountered difficult situations, because it's made me who I am. The pain hurts, I'm not going to lie, but it hasn't destroyed me, and it never will.

You may be sobbing on your bed right now because you don't understand why they died, or why he broke your heart, or what your life truly means.

And I'm here to tell you that the pain in your life won't win. It won't last.

You'll wake up one day and no longer feel it. Instead, you'll feel peace and joy, and it'll fill your entire life.

And you'll wake up and thank God for the pain, because it has made you who you are.