The God of All Comfort
Please don’t give up. Remember that His love is unfailing.
Many of us know what it’s like to get into a dark and lonely place where you feel like there’s no way out. You try to put on a happy face, hope the feelings will pass, trust your faith more.
Many times it’s a downward spiral of untruths that take hold in your heart and mind that brings us to that place. A shattered dream, an injustice; wrongly thinking that when people treat us poorly, we deserve it.
When life doesn’t turn out how we had hoped, we can start believing the lie that God is cursing us. He must not love me because He didn’t answer my desperate prayers.
What are some things that can help?  For one, remembering that you matter. God has created you with a unique sense of humor, perspective, and life that no one can replace. You have a unique skillset to love others and change the world that can’t be replaced.
Second, gratitude. Instead of focusing on the negative – what was lacking in your life, try to focus on the blessings and the things worth being thankful for. Like the fact that the God of the universe loves you unconditionally!
Focus on others. Ask God to show you each day how you can love the people around you better. Volunteer, give, try to find people who are hurting as much as or more than you.
Remind yourself every day that God’s love for you is unfailing, even through shattered dreams and that, “how people treat you does NOT define you!”
If you’re feeling desperate, please tell someone. I have a few close friends who I can confide in and they can confide in me when we get in a “funk” and feel like we can’t get out. Get help. Remember God’s unconditional love for you. We were designed to be intimate with Him.
Seek ways to love others. Start getting exercise and fresh air, eating healthy and getting enough sleep. Write yourself a compassionate letter as if you were writing it to a friend considering taking his or her own life. We so often forget to show compassion to ourselves. Please remember that how people treat you does NOT define you. Remember that YOU MATTER. When you hurt, He hurts with you and He hears your prayers.
“The mountains may disappear, and the hills may come to an end, but My love will never disappear; My promise of peace will not come to an end.” Isaiah 54:10
With love,
Thanks for this, Taylor. I’ve listened to you and Kevin for over 12 years now and the station never changes in my car. I guess the Holy Spirit brought me to this post as I’ve been feeling down on myself and down on life in general. My 11-year old son, Tristan, passed away in January 2017 and the last 18 months have been filled with thousands of questions and doubts but mixed with many moments of hope and encouragement. I’ve had more questions than hope this week, but that’s my life now, lots of ups and downs. Lots of days where I just feel like I’m stuck here, imprisoned, left here to figure out this mystery God has unfolded without any means of understanding, begging for God to help increase my trust.
I’d exchanged a few texts with Parks Stamper back in January ’17 in a plea for prayers across the metro Atlanta area when we were in the hospital with Tristan. He’d had an accident in our backyard and left us on our knees with tremendous support from family, friends, our church community, school, neighbors, even strangers. We are still living in complete and utter disbelief. My whole life, I lifted up people and situations in prayer, trusting God would always provide, there was always a reason and just could not believe the circumstances that we were in nor the miracle we did not receive through our prayers and the thousands that were storming the gates of Heaven. Our healthy and amazingly talented son left this earth too soon and I’ve struggled with all the “why’s”.
I wrote for therapeutic reasons and my writing turned into a book. As a result of hearing an ad on the Fish, I contacted Christian Faith Publishing and to my surprise, they want to publish it! I also started a blog at orangemoments.org in January 2018 once I’d finished writing the book. (Title: Orange Moments)
The Fish is referenced in my book because of the strong influence the music has had on my life and on Tristan’s. Thank you for the inspiration your morning show provides and for the music you play. I actually received licenses to publish lyrics from Hillsong and Hillary Scott as their songs were a crucial part of our life during our tragedy and therafter. I’ve been called out into deep waters, but my faith stands. It is the ONE thing that has brought us through. Our marriage is strong because of the foundation in our faith and we lean in in lieu of all other temptations to spiral downward. I keep my eyes above the waves every time I’m drowning in sorrow. I can’t imagine going through anything like this without my faith in God.