I am going to jump right in and tell you, pain is coming for you. At some point in your life, you are going to experience some form of heartache. Whether it is the parent that left, the disease that crept up, the girl/boy that cheated, the friend that abandoned you, whatever it is, something will find you. Undoubtedly, you will be filled with questions. You will wonder and ache and be so, so confused. This is natural and it is the reality of the life that we live. Here is the good news that we can hold onto: There is an apparent goodness with every inch of pain we feel.

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

I am an incredibly independent person. So much so, I will go watch a movie in the theatre all alone, or grab dinner at a restaurant all by myself. No, I do not feel awkward so please do not pity me, it is just the independence that I have always had. This can be a good thing, but other times, it can be dangerous. Independence can cause us to feel like we have everything under control.

We think "Hey God, I know you're present in my life, which is cool, but I can handle this situation, I don't need help today...we can chat tomorrow." Maybe that isn't an actual prayer you have ever had, but it is a thought that lies deep with in me many times. I fly through my tasks of life and, even though I can acknowledge God is good and present, I fail to lust for Him and slowly, I lose my desire to grow close to Him. Then pain hits.

Have you ever been in such a vulnerable, painful spot in your life that you lay in bed and cry out, "Okay God! If You are here, now would be a great time to swoop in. I need You!" If you are willing to admit it, I would guess that you have found yourself in that boat a number of times, whether you are a follower of Christ or not. Often times, our most vulnerable moments are the times that we are most open to the Lord's help. We no longer have the situation under control. We are no longer sane and content.

We are aching for the Father to wrap us up and make us feel safe again. We do not know where to turn so we turn to Him. This is exactly where the Lord wants us to be. Do not miss that. Do not get so caught up in your hurt that you blindfold yourself to the work that the Lord is doing. Instead, take a step back. Realize that your pain may be what it took to grab your attention. Recognize that God needed you to be vulnerable so He could show you that you are valuable.

Recognize that God needed you to be vulnerable so He could show you that you are Valuable.

When I think back to my most broken times, I realize in hindsight, that those were also the times I grew the most. Those were the lessons that changed me for the better. That boy that cheated on me, I learned how to rely on God's love rather than the love of an earthly figure. That friend that talked badly about me behind my back, I learned the reality of true friendship and the benefits of having a tongue that speaks softly. That situation that I had planned out perfectly in my mind that crumbled to pieces, I realized that I cannot play God; I have to surrender my life and my plans to Him (don't worry, His plans are much, much better than ours anyway).

I do not know your pain. I do not know the intensity of it or how long it has stolen your joy. But what I do know is that the Lord can use it for something great in your life. No event is a surprise to God, isn't that so comforting?! Nothing that happens is on accident. It was for a purpose. Often times, that purpose is to grab your attention again so that we can be vulnerable for the Lord and find our value in Him.

It is so we can remember that we actually do need help. Though it would have been much easier for me to not have encountered many of the situation that I did, I know without a doubt that if I hadn't gone through that pain, I would not have learned the lessons that the Lord was begging me to see. The Lord is in the process of writing my story. Every good story has conflict. Choose to approach that conflict with the mindset: "Alright Lord, let's do this. Show me Your goodness through this pain."

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.