Let me guess, you're going on weeks or even months of sleepless nights. Some filled with tears, some where you're just too numb to cry or even think. Some days you wake up with a positive attitude thinking "today I'm not going to let it get me down", and then something as little as a certain restaurant or phrase brings you to your knees. I know, because it has brought me to mine.

If you're like me, you probably don't have much hope. You're wondering when the pain is ever going to end. When do you get to wake up and not have the weight of reality crash down on you. No matter how much you want it to be, it wasn't just a nightmare. It's not something you get to wake up from. It was real, it happened, and the pain is as raw as it gets. But I'm here to tell you that one day, you do get to wake up happy again. You get to wake up full of hope and purpose. You get to go to sleep with a dry face, and wake up filled with peace. It won't be tomorrow, and it probably won't be the day after that but don't lose hope. A few months ago, I too had my whole life crumble right in front of me, or at least that's how it felt back then. However, once I realized that I was the one in control of my life I was able to fix it.

I had let one person dictate my every emotion. One person was the root of my joy, my anger, my hopes, my dreams. That was my first mistake. I began to see that I was the one who put myself into a hole that seemed too deep to climb out of, and I had to be the one to get me out, or so I thought. Trust me, I tried everything. From other boys, to surrounding myself with friends, to retail therapy. My heart wasn't healing and my bank account was draining. That's when God reached down and pulled me out. Your man may have left you stranded, but your God never did. To the girl that is in my position, that quick fix isn't ever going to be enough. You can't keep snacking on things that make you happy for a moment, you need a meal that is going to fill your soul. That meal is only going to come from the big man upstairs. Lucky for you, access to that contentment is all yours. We all have it, he's just waiting for us to trust him and take it.

You are only given the respect that you demand and once you start allowing the wrong people to walk out on you, I promise the right ones walk in. Instead of constantly giving that guy another chance, give yourself a chance for once. Don't you dare go back because you're better than that. God has your Boaz, but he can't give you that blessing if you're holding on to your lesson. If you need more evidence, fast forward two months. I am standing on solid ground that cannot be shaken. I surrounded myself with real friends who hold me accountable, mentors that speak life into me, and I finally learned how to love and respect myself. I'm the happiest I have ever been and I have no doubt in my mind that God used that pain to shape me so I could bless others.

I hope these words can be hope for you. Feel peace in the fact that your breakthrough is coming and it will offer so much more than the temporary attention of a boy did. So feel that pain. Feel it with everything you have in you and then let it go. Start seeing a girl who is worth so much more than tears, and empty promises. Start seeing a world changer, a fighter and a dreamer. You are worthy of those titles and do not let yourself believe otherwise. Your story will soon become your testimony, so stand tall and show the world what you're made of.