Sharing Your Story of Strength

Pullover + Bottoms: Birdeebee (c/o) wearing size small

I sometimes dread the future, if I can be so blunt. I know there are so many things to look forward to, but I also am terrified of the heartbreak I’m going to feel as time goes on – things that just have to happen to everyone, losing loved ones (losing my dog has severely broken a huge part my heart), and I can’t imagine life without my parents who have loved me unconditionally. Life is beautiful but has so many heartbreaks at the same time – and being strong is sometimes all we can be until our hearts heal.

By now you probably have had several heartbreaks, hard times, ups and downs that life hands us. When I lost my dog, an old friend reached out and really comforted me through texts and sharing her story and really being there for me as I just told her how I was feeling. She too had felt the pain of loosing her dog tragically and she checked in with me and never got tired of listening to me share my broken heart. I was so thankful for her walking me through a really tough time – my Paris was seriously the little love of my life!

I’ve blogged about some tough parts of my life, experiencing facial paralysis, Bells Palsy in high school, to my broken engagement called off three weeks before the wedding, friendships ending over social media, and putting those things out on the Internet to see can make one feel vulnerable for attacks or hard to rehash hard times, or admit life isn’t perfect. But life isn’t, and we all know that.

I put those painful moments out on the Internet because I know I’ve needed hope to find others who already went through what I am experiencing to give me hope that there is recovery, joy and healing on the other side.

There are highs and lows this world gives us, but we can choose to see the positives and continue to focus on our hope for eternity where there are no tears, pain or suffering. So when I go through tough times, I focus on how after I make it through, I will hopefully be able to help others heal. God never wastes pain, I know it, I’ve seen it.

Since I blogged about those hard times, the broken engagement and facial paralysis, I can’t tell you the messages I get. I get an email or comment about it maybe once every week or two. The heartache is real, it’s happening around us all the time. I’ve received emails from a few teenage girls in high school ironically who are experiencing facial paralysis and they are scared. My heart sinks and I cry when I get these emails, but I am also comforted knowing that when I share my brokenness with the world, there is someone out there who may find hope in my words.

So the next time you experience pain, share it. People are watching and listening, and they will remember you went through it and might reach out asking for your comforting words one day.

And when you see or hear someone going though the same heartbreaking trial you experienced, reach out and ask if they need to talk. Pray for them, tell them more about your story, give them hope, check in, be that person you wish you had or you did have, to comfort you when you went through that trial.

If we remember our stories might be shared to give others hope one day, perhaps when we go through those life trials, we can find a little silver lining knowing that pain is truly never wasted.

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Has your story ever helped someone else? Share in the comments.