Life is hard. As a kid, I remember hearing adults say that life would only get harder with time, but I didn’t believe them. Things felt simple and exciting. But what we take for granted as children, we often yearn for as adults.
As I grew into my teen years, the rose-tinted glasses began to come off. Life began to feel heavy, like I was carrying something I didn’t know how to name. Anxiety crept in. I started feeling different, like I didn’t quite belong. I believed I was broken. I wondered if God had checked out, because He was disappointed that I couldn’t be joyful and happy all the time.
But what I didn’t see back then: He never left. He was closer than ever.
The Bible is full of people who wrestled with hard emotions. Take Elijah in 1 Kings 19. He had just performed miraculous acts through God’s power, but Jezebel threatened his life in response. Elijah, drained and fearful, said, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” And how did God respond? Not with a reprimand, not with “be grateful.” Instead, He sent an angel to care for him, to be with him in the darkness. God met Elijah exactly where he was.
Or Jonah in chapter 4. He’s angry and overwhelmed, telling God, “Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And God shows up. He talks to Jonah and even provides a plant to shade him from the sun after he runs off in frustration. God doesn't abandon Jonah to his bitterness. He stays present.
Pain was something I thought I had to just get through or ignore. But as I’ve walked through seasons of suffering, I’ve learned that God doesn’t ask us to run from our pain, but He asks us to meet Him in it. Jesus Himself didn’t run from His suffering. In the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed in anguish, asking God to take the cup of suffering away, but surrendered it to God. And on the cross, He cried out, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Even the Son of God felt the weight of darkness.
Here’s the truth I’ve come to hold onto: God doesn’t leave us in that place. Elijah’s story doesn’t end in fear. Jonah’s story doesn’t end in bitterness. And Jesus' story certainly doesn’t end in death. God met each of them in their darkest moments and transformed and redeemed them. Pain didn’t get the final word.
In God’s hands, pain has purpose.
There’s no denying the darkness in our world: sickness, loss, poverty, injustice, and the list keeps going. It’s everywhere. But I encourage you, don’t rush past the pain; there is holy ground beneath your pain. Sit in it for a moment because that’s often where God shows up. He doesn’t avoid the broken places, instead, He meets us in them. And in His timing, He makes even the most shattered things beautiful.
Have the most amazing day!
Jayden Smith