We sometimes travel a difficult road. No matter how often we avoid the potholes, take a sharp detour or veer out of the way of traffic, we almost always hit some of the bumps along the way. And in life, some of the bumps are harder to recover from than others.

These bumps, though, are part of a Greater Plan from a Father who loves us more than we could possibly imagine. In the struggles, He holds us up in His love. Instead of watching from the clouds as our worlds fall apart, He gently wraps us in His strongest embrace and whispers, “It will be OK. I am with you.”

This matters because He has felt all of the pain we ever have and ever will feel. He knows the hurt of leaving home, of losing a parent, of tears and heartbreaks. He knows all of our flaws and all of our iniquities. He knows of our unbelief and every painful choice we will ever make. Yet He still loves us so much that He chose to die hung by rusty nails on a wooden cross. The King of Kings picked this.

How did that ever stop meaning so much? When did we forget how incredible that sacrifice truly was? We hear it said that Christ died for us, and somehow it is just a simple repeat of what we have heard thousands of times before. We have become complacent to the truest and richest love ever shown.

The truth is that nothing about this sacrifice is simple or normal. God was mocked, ridiculed as he watched from the remains of a tree and died. He died for the people who hung Him there and for the people who doubted. That kind of love doesn’t pick and choose who is worthy and who isn’t. That love became stronger because we are weaker.

In your struggles, remember this: God does not find your problems petty. He does not find your bumps in the road insignificant or unworthy of His grace. In fact, His grace heals them. There is no bump or damage He cannot fix.

Don’t forget that He came to Earth to feel what you feel, ache what you ache and mourn what you mourn.

There is no promise that the road will be easy. There is, however, a true and holy promise that guarantees you will never be too weak to stay and travel your road. You, my friend, have been given the gift of Heavenly strength.

St. Francis de Sales says, “This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage and then sent it to you from heaven.”