When nothing makes sense....

"Let me ear joy and gladness; LET THE BONES YOU CRUSHED REJOICE." Psalm 51:8

Dear Beloved Reader,

I don't know what your life looks like on the other side of the screen. Maybe life is great and everything seems to be just as it should. Or maybe nothing makes sense in life, and you are just needing some answers. Some guidance and some comfort would be helpful. I want to be a voice that says "You are not alone." No matter where you are, I want to dedicate this to the hard seasons we all go through. The ones that are unsure, scary, the valley of death, and just don't make sense.

If you are human, you have struggled. There is not one person walking this earth that has not tasted the bitter taste of disappointment, fear, loss, lack, betrayal, pain, and the list goes on. Whether it is an outward expression or an inward siege, we all struggle; it is one thing that universally unites us. Honestly, though, what do we really do to get through the hard times? We all have ideas of what to do and have heard enough sermons to last lifetimes. Honestly and practically, what do we do?

Scream and punch the steering wheel, create our own oceans with the tears of our souls, play tough as nails but dying on the inside. We turn to people, friends, a lover, money, stuff, shopping, eating, name it and it's been used as an antidote for our lack. Lack of what?

• lack of love

• lack of security

• lack of faith

• lack of justice

• lack of stability

• lack of certainty

• lack of guidance

• lack of.......fill in the blank

Dear one, I have experienced countless moments in my 27 years that just didn't make sense, and here are the things I wish I could go back and tell myself. May these bless you and be arms of understanding and comfort. Nothing facing you is strong enough to stop you, or else you wouldn't be here. You are also not so powerful that you can mess the whole world up, especially Yahweh's plans.

10 THINGS I WISH I COULD HAVE TOLD MYSELF IN THE : NOTHING MAKES SENSE SEASON

1. Have grace with yourself to not know

2. Take a walk

3. Don't forget to breathe

4. You are not all that and a bag of chips

5. If you could only see the whole picture

6. Faith is best seen in the blind spot

7. Think of others above yourself

8. Be still and believe He is Yahweh

9. Everything truly does work out

10. Do it especially when you don't want to

For number one, I would like to expand on the fact that we expect ourselves to have answers and know all things. This can easily open the door to pride and arrogance. This will put you in a very bad and hard place. It might feel good and powerful to have an answer to everything. Sometimes we are just not that smart and have everything figured out. The last thing is to give yourself enough grace to feel the feelings. Letting them come and go in healthy ways is the key to healing and understanding. Don't expect yourself to be healed when you are still bleeding. Healing takes time.

Number two, Take a walk. I advise you to do just that. Go outside, take a walk, breathe fresh air, stretch, work out, get around different environments, natural ones. Being in Yahweh's creation will lift your spirit and fill you with the realization of life. So get outside once a day. Let Him remind you of who He is in nature.

"Third is very important because the very first thing stress, fear, worry, anxiety, anger, and emotions like this will take your breath away and not in a good way. So practice being in control of that gift of the Spirit. That beautiful moment during creation when Yahweh breathed into man and he became a living being! Also, cultivate the Holy Spirit and keep that fire burning even if you don't want to. We will talk about that more later."

Fourth, short and simple: stop thinking so highly of yourself like you have it all together. You don't, and that is okay. You can just be still trying to figure it out, and that is okay. I give you permission to just be the messy salsa and chips.

Fifth, if we saw the aerial view, we would not stress out so bad. Just like when you finish the puzzle or an edge-of-the-seat movie ends with a great explanation. But what about when you are halfway through the puzzle and you are missing a piece? Or your favorite show gets canceled, or they don't finish making enough movie to explain the outcome? We must come to the conclusion that all things will work out. It involves trust and faith. All things are connected, and Yahweh sees all things. Nothing is new under the sun, even the hardship and evil. But also His love, joy, peace, and providence!

Now for the sixth, inactive faith is like a muscle that just gets used to get up and get a snack but only goes back to sitting again. This is what happens to faith when there is too much comfort and not enough hardship. The reason we can count all trials joy is because they are workouts for our faith!

Seventh, we must always remember that life is 20% what happens to us and 80% how we react to it. Our reaction is what will really affect others. So we must keep this in mind.

Eighth, stay in your Word, never forget all that He has brought you through already. You must, in these moments, remake the decision to believe Yahweh for who He says He is or let the enemy make us think He is a liar, when the liar is exactly Satan himself. PRAYER! Even if you just sit there. Never stop praying, if you do you have already lost some ground.

I was in a very hard place and someone told me, "Everything works out and turns to the good." In my hardship, I said, "No, no it doesn't." I see now how wrong I was because all things really do. It might take a day, a week, 6 months, years, or sadly for some, it's at the end of your life. I am a witness that truly if you let Yahweh take moments like this, He does turn it to good!!

"Last, do it especially when you don't want to, as it means many things. So, take this and, apply it to what your spirit is telling you according to The Word! For me, it is to love unconditionally and be kind even to your enemies. This last one means choosing to be like Yeshua and like he said when he didn't feel like going through what was upon him: 'Not my will be done, but yours be done.' If you can do that, this season will end, and you will come out of it as a new creation and reborn. I promise you."

Much love

Elysa