"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf." -Jon Kabat-Zinn

One of my absolute favorite things about summer is thunderstorms (unpopular opinion, I know), and while I've noticed that everyone likes to reap the benefits of the much-needed rain, no one likes the mess or damage it can leave behind. The storm is okay when it's giving us an even exchange, but when it begins to take away or give us more than we can handle, it becomes unfair and frustrating. And at times, the benefits are so far away, it seems like we're just waiting around and enduring this storm in vain, forgetting that they often bring something better than we had before, kind of like life.

So, what do you do when everything is falling apart? What do you do when everything you've labored for is slipping through the cracks? What do you do when you've tried everything in your power to hold it together, only to no avail? What do you do when you're too tired to put up a good fight? Do the only thing you can. Sit back, trust God and realize that you are not in control. None of us are.

We can't fight it, we can't repair it with our own devices, and we certainly can't keep it from happening. We are allowed to have our moments of brokenness, but we can't possibly convince ourselves that this is who we are or what we've become. We are allowed to fall apart in our moments of weakness, but we have to realize that eventually, we will be put back together. We are allowed to be upset with our unfair circumstances, but we have to learn to accept them. We will be whole again, but now is a time to surrender and be broken.

I believe there's beauty to be found in this brokenhearted and confusing state. In a way, it's kind of like life's way of giving us second chances. What we had before may have been good, but this is our chance to get something even better. Maybe things weren't even that good before, and now's the time for them to be made right. Or maybe, you've hit rock bottom, but there's peace in knowing that you can only go up from here. Falling apart does not equate to giving up or failing, but rather, it's a state of rest so you can gather your bearings and continue pushing on.

Just breath and remember this storm of yours cannot and will not last forever. Your life won't be the same after, and you shouldn't want it to. It will be mended, yes, but it will also be something that was molded with meaning.

Maybe things aren't actually falling apart, but maybe, just maybe, they're falling into place for something better. Much better.