Daily Delight
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Sitting with a friend, we were discussing struggles our generation was fighting. With a weary heart I found myself quoting from a book I had read earlier, “Our twenties are so much darker than anyone prepares us for.”
We exit high school and suddenly are in jobs or college, we enter the woods that is our twenties. The bubble of naivety bursts and friends get married and experience their first miscarriages, we face more death around us, we witness or experience addiction, abuse and mental illness. If this is part of your story, you are not alone.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, One in four adults—approximately 61.5 million Americans—experiences mental illness in a given year.
“...I was given a thorn in my flesh...Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NLT).
The thorn in the flesh can be temptation, depression, anxiety, whatever darkness is feeding you lies. The existence of our thorns don't denote a lack of faith. Most of the time, our thorns turn into silent suffering. Silent suffering leads you to believe you are alone. When we struggle alone, we are exhausted to the point of not even knowing how to reach out. If you’ve ever shared your pain or darkness and been met with shame? Release that. You are not blamed in the Kingdom of God, you are beloved. You can have the best behavior and still fall into darkness. Physical brokenness of the mind and heart are just as serious as any other health concern. Counseling and health professionals are not shameful, they are part of your healing journey.
Please hear this truth: His grace is enough. You are enough. God wants you. The pieces of your story covered in darkness? He redeems them.
Even when Paul pleaded to God to remove the thorn of his flesh, God simply answered my grace is sufficient. Receive grace. Call out truth against whatever lies the enemy is using in your struggle or suffering: You are not a burden, whatever your struggle or suffering is, it is not your fault, you do not deserve blame or shame, you are not beyond saving. You are worthy of saving.
Photo: @nhinton4
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Amy Werner
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Amy grew up near the mouth of the Appalachian trail in a northeastern town in Georgia. She now lives as a writer and science nerd in our nation’s capital, navigating life as a 20-something obsessed with finding sanctuaries in nature on the edges of the urban hustle of D.C.
This new transition to D.C. has been a season of learning a posture of surrender and peaceful silence found with God even amid the noise of cultural expectations and standards.
Amy is passionate about seeking justice, finding faith in all of life's details and championing young women to see and appreciate their divine value and worth. Amy loves stories, campfires, donuts and strong friendships, often the combination of all these elements equals her happy place.
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