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Hello, friends!
I hope you’ve had an absolutely wonderful summer so far—filled with warm sunshine, sweet family memories, backyard laughter, and those quiet, peaceful mornings where you can feel God’s presence all around you, and reflect on any new beginnings you may have experienced.
As we move through August, there’s a special kind of excitement in the air. Children are getting ready to go back to school, routines are shifting, and it feels like the perfect time for new beginnings. Even now, well into the year, God is still writing beautiful new chapters. Remember that God is always ready to do something new. If you feel you need a new beginning today, He is here for you.
A Foundation of Faith and New Beginnings
I was born a long time ago and grew up in a time when life felt simpler. I remember long summer days playing outside with friends, and riding my bicycle all over our neighborhood. We went home when the streetlights came on—those were the rules, and they worked just fine.
I grew up in a home where we didn’t attend church. Faith wasn’t really talked about in our house. But when I was twelve years old, everything changed for me. I met a cousin my age whom I had never known before. My aunt and uncle took her to church, and I started staying with them on weekends.
For the first time, I experienced what it was like to be in a home that loved Jesus. They took me to church with them, and those Sunday mornings became some of the brightest parts of my young life. I kept going with them well into my teenage years, and those early experiences planted seeds of faith that would later sustain me through very hard times.
The Moment That Changed Everything
I do not want sympathy for my life. I am writing this to show God in my story—the same God who can be in your story and help you through this sometimes incredibly hard life. To show you new beginnings when you need them. I want you to see God and how much He loves us. I want to give Him all the glory.
Twenty years ago, my life took an unexpected turn. I suffered a brain hemorrhage that left me paralyzed on my left side. In an instant, my world turned upside down.
At first, I had no idea how close I was to death. I was in a coma for a short time, which is what the doctor told my husband would happen if I wasn’t going to pull through. He said I would go into a coma and not come out of it. I would just slip away.
But in the midst of that fear and uncertainty, God was right there with me, with us. He didn’t leave us to face it alone.
Even when we couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, He was our light. He was our strength when we had none. He was our hope when we felt hopeless.
I was fighting and terrified because I had lost so much. After all, I couldn’t even sit without being propped up so I didn’t fall over. I was no longer able to walk or even stand. I totally lost the use of my left arm and hand. Everything I had taken for granted was suddenly gone.
God’s Faithfulness in the Hard Places
In those early days, I wrestled with so many questions: Why me? Why now? Will I ever be the same? How will I do the things I need to do for my family?
But slowly, I began to see that God wasn’t just watching from a distance. He was walking beside me, carrying me when I couldn’t stand on my own. He was teaching me to trust Him in ways I never had before. He was growing my faith.
I have an amazing husband. When I was only seeing the negatives and feeling sorry for myself, he would remind me I still had much to be thankful for: He would start naming our blessings. Be thankful that I was strong and had thus far survived this. Be thankful for our amazing family. We still had three children at home, and we were expecting our first grandchild. I then began to thank God for these things, and I was thankful it wasn’t any of them that this had happened to. They had their whole lives in front of them. I began to realize you can always be thankful for something, even in the hardest of times.
This became my reality. God was close to me, even in my brokenness. This was hard, by far the hardest thing I had ever faced.
I learned that God doesn’t always take away the hard things, but He promises to be with us in them. Psalm 34:18:The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
I have finally reached a point in life where I can truly thank Him for all I have been through. Because you see, if I had not had such a time, I would never be where I am in our relationship, learning that I can trust Him in anything and everything I will ever have to face. He has grown my faith more than I could have imagined. There are no words that can convey this to you. It is something you will have to find for yourself, with God.
The God Who Never Leaves
God didn’t just meet me in the big moments—He was there in the small ones too. He was in the whispers of encouragement from loved ones. There, giving me the strength to face another day, giving me the peace that passes all understanding. Philippians 4:7. He was right beside me, every step of the way.
There were days when the pain of what I had lost felt unbearable, and the road to recovery seemed impossible. But in those moments, I clung to promises like Isiah 41:10.
Hope For You Today
If you’re reading this and feeling like your world has turned upside down, I want you to know that God sees you. He knows your pain, and He is right here with you, just as He was and is with me.
He is the God who heals the brokenhearted Psalm 147:3 and binds up their wounds. He is the God who can turn your mourning into dancing. Psalm 30:11.
You are not alone. If you are searching for this kind of life-changing hope today, the greatest news is that it is fully available to you now. He loves you more than you could ever imagine, and He wants to be the source of your strength, your hope, and your peace. God doesn’t just want to carry you through this storm; He wants to give you an eternal foundation that can never be shaken. It is the most important decision you will ever make. Please visit the page below.
My Prayer For You
Lord, I pray for anyone reading this who feels like they’re drowning in their pain. Remind them that You are near. Give them the strength to take the next step, and fill them with the hope that only You can provide. Help them to see You in their story, just as I have seen You in mine. Bless all who are reading this; help them reach out to someone who needs you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
💬 This blog is a place where we remind each other that we never have to walk through the valleys alone. If this message brought a little bit of hope to your soul today, won’t you help spread that hope to someone else?
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Scripture and Songs for Meditation
Psalm 34 is a beautiful reminder of God’s faithfulness to the brokenhearted. David writes from a place of deep trouble, yet he declares that the Lord is close to those whose hearts are crushed and that He delivers them. That is the same faithful God who meets us in our lowest places and opens the door to new beginnings. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-34/
If you are hurting today or just want to listen to music that will bless you, here are some choices below.
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A thought, verse, or prayer to share? I’d love to read it.