The last two years have probably been some of the hardest I have yet to face. I have changed. My life has changed. I have felt like I have been at rock bottom more times than I can count and it honestly just seems like I can’t catch a break. Life is hard and anyone who tries to say it isn’t, is lying. Stuff happens. Plans fall through. Life never turns out the way that we planned.

They say the older you get, the harder it gets and I believe that to be very true. As we get older, we face more obstacles and more challenges. We grow stronger, but we also have to deal with a lot more, too.

Despite how I have felt, there is one very important lesson that I have learned throughout the hardships that I have encountered. It is also probably one of the hardest lessons that I have had to learn. But I have been forced to realize that no matter what, God is in control.

I have always had my life together. I have always been on top of the game. I have always been excellent at making plans and staying organized. I’ve been a pro at it, at least until the last two years.

In the past, I have felt that I was always able to manage everything that happened in my life relatively well. Maybe that is why I have been forced to struggle with these challenges as a wake up call. Maybe God is reaching out to me to say, “Hey, I am in control, not you. Stop trying to do this your way and let me do it my way.”

I have been through a lot in my life. I have always managed stress very well. People have always told me that I am the strongest person that they know. Well strong people can’t be strong forever. I am here to let you know that is okay. It is okay to say that you are not strong. It is okay to fall apart and come undone. I know many of you have felt or do feel similar to this. If you haven’t it will happen. I have also learned it happens to everyone at some point throughout their lives. It will probably happen more than once. Some people are just better at hiding it than others. Everyone goes through tough times.

But no matter how much we dislike it, God makes us uncomfortable on purpose. A person can never really grow if they stay in their same environment. A person can only grow if they are placed in uncomfortable situations. This is how we grow. This is how we become stronger. This is how we are prepared for what happens next in life. We are stretched until God is finished with us. It is never easy. It is always hard. It always feels like we aren’t going to push through. It feels like we aren’t going to come out on the other side.

But guess what? God is in control. God will always provide, and he is always on time. God puts us in these uncomfortable situations to let us know that he is in control. Maybe it was to protect us from something. Who knows? But we have to keep our faith during these hard times and trust Him. Whatever your plan is for your life, God’s plan for you is much larger. Keep your faith and he will bring you through to the other side.

The saying goes, “You can’t have a storm without a rainbow.” And just remember, storms don’t last forever. He will put us exactly where we are supposed to be when he is ready.