“The mold in which a key is made would be a strange thing, if you had never seen a key: and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in the infinite contours of the divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions.

Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it -- made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand.” - C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Where does it hurt the most? Your foot? Your stomach? Your head? Your heart? Life has a sick sense of humor when it comes to throwing curve balls of depression, anxiety, anger, guilt, shame, remorse, but the power of healing that comes with perseverance is a victory indeed worth celebrating. Nobody enjoys the difficulties that come when life goes south. Whether a mental issue or a physical issue, pain is never fun. I'm certain that at some point in our lives we have all asked ourselves, "Why did this happen?" It is an unpleasant experience, the very thought of pain is an abomination itself. When the elements of this world come crashing down, where do we go for the healing? Now, the healing process, of course, comes with time, and also will. Say for a physical pain, such as breaking a bone, oneself won't wait for the bone to repair itself without medical attention, nor be ready to function with that bone without rest, patience, support. Same goes with a wound of depression, maybe not as dramatic as a broken bone, but all pains more or less are common and difficult to bear.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

In a world of discontent, oftentimes, it is difficult to bear a positive attitude when life's circumstances come into play. An individual gets tired of hearing, "everything happens for a reason," while I agree with that phrase to a certain extent, I believe that it is not necessarily your job to find those reasons. Sometimes it is better to bury that journey to know and better to live for another day. What I mean is, that the curious gluttony to find a reason for hurting isn't worth the time, nor energy, rather it is best to hunger for a day when the pain will cease. Many people find their ways of coping in faith. Theologian Charles Spurgeon describes that "Whenever God means to make a man great, He always breaks him in pieces first." What Spurgeon means, is that God is breaking you show that He can rebuild you into the beautiful person you were made to be. We were made to do greater things. I understand the controversies many people have, with "Well, if God wants me to do great, then why is there so much suffering in this world? Why does God let this all happen to us?" I've faced that similar question in my earlier days and even prodded at Christians with the very question. What I can say, is that one, I don't have all the answers and that's okay, but two, I know enough to know that my suffering experiences shaped me to who I am today, to strive towards goodness, to serve people who are suffering, to share that in the end, there is always room for redemption, forgiveness, restoration, hope, love, peace.

Whatever storms you are facing today, it is not eternal, but temporary and the story is not over. There is always a chance to start again, always another chance to shake off the heavy chains, another chance to live like you are free. I've been there and I've been told that "well you don't understand what I'm going through, nobody is there for me, I can't get passed it, I'm not good enough to be happy, I don't have any peace, It's hopeless to get over this," and well I want to be real here and say that those thoughts are blatant lies and selfish thoughts. There is always a way out, even when there is no way out, a way will be made to live a life worth enduring the inevitable pains given. I understand what it's like to hit rock bottom, but I never gave up, because there is always a chance to rise again and again.

One person may be tired of losing the death of a loved one, another tired of breakups, divorce, or once close friends and family leaving, and another may be tired of just losing in general. I will tell you, losing does suck, and an easier way out seems appropriate, but a season of loss doesn't mean you will lose all the time. It just means that something great will come your way, a victory that will revive your spirit and you will rise much stronger than you were in the storms, so please endure with me, endure with me the hurts that occur and I promise you a day where the pains, and the tears, will come to an end. We are all in this together, so let's walk this road together, a bright future lies ahead of us and we will finally be at peace.