Wow, I just love you so much. I don’t know how anyone could know you and not just love you to pieces. I feel so honored to have you as a friend. I’ve started writing this at least four times, and I just can’t seem to put it into words, but I think Ed Sheeran’s reappearance has inspired me to form my thoughts into words. My default response to the hurt you feel is helplessness, and that is one of the worst feelings in the world. I try to think of what to say and how to help, but most of the time, all I can do is listen and pray. I don’t know how to tell you how loved and valued you are, even when others don’t treat you well. I can love you with all I have, and I know that’s not going to fix everything, but I so wish that it could.

Believe me when I say that it just breaks my heart that I can’t really help you. I know there are people who should love you, but they treat you like shit. I know that things have happened to you that no person should ever have to experience. There is no shame in that and there are people (ME) who will be ears to listen and a shoulder to cry on. There are people (ME) who love you so so much, and we just want you to let us love you. Even when you don’t feel like talking and when you try to shut me out, I’m still going to love you, and I’m still going to be here for you when you’re hurting. I won’t let you continue to feel unloved and unwanted.

I wish that I could explain how much I wish I could do something to erase all the horrible things that people have said about you and done to you, but I can’t. That inability will continue to frustrate me, I know, but even though I can only do so much, I know what will help more. There’s someone who can take away all of the suffering you have ever felt. He probably won’t, since suffering is actually a gift, and it’s an opportunity to grow closer to Him, but He’s the only one who can counteract your hurt.

Here’s the really cool part, though. In my own life, I’ve realized that I’m not always going to be happy. Sometimes I go for a long time without being very happy, but it doesn’t matter how sad or upset or angry I feel, I can still have joy. I worried for a long time that I had lost joy since I was unhappy so often, but joy isn’t fleeting, and it isn’t affected by the things of this world. You can feel so worthless and so hated and so inferior and still have joy. You can feel like you’re so incapable and so unneeded and so insignificant and still have Joy. It’s not easy, but the love that we were shown on the cross wasn’t easy either. We have been bought with a price, and we were given the lives we have for a reason. Yeah, I know other people make your life suck sometimes, and I just hate that with all of my being, but you can have Joy even when you’re hurting. It’s not easy, but I know you can do it. You know that I love you and that I’m not the only one. You know that you have people to talk to and shoulders to cry on. But please know the most important thing: Joy overcomes any emotion you may have. Suffering is a gift that we’ve been given, but Joy is an even greater gift, and with Joy, it doesn’t matter what kind of hurt you feel or what I can or can’t do to help, because you will have a peace that surpasses all understanding.