The Flame Within

Sometimes you have to get far enough down the road before you can see just how far you’ve come.

I’ve been thinking lately about how different courage and healing look from the future perspective.

When we are walking through something difficult, we rarely feel courageous. We often feel tired. Uncertain. Overwhelmed. Maybe even afraid.

We are simply trying to get through the day in front of us.

But then time passes.

And one day, we look back and realize that the version of ourselves who felt so unsure was actually being incredibly brave.

She kept going.

She kept praying.

She kept trusting God, even when she didn’t know what He was doing.

She kept taking the next step, even when she couldn’t see very far ahead.

And somewhere along the way, healing was happening.

Not always quickly. Not always in the ways we expected. And sometimes so slowly that we couldn’t even see it while it was happening.

That is one of the gifts of time.

Time gives us perspective.

It allows us to look back at seasons that once felt overwhelming and recognize the prayers God answered slowly, the strength He provided daily, and the healing that was taking place even when we couldn’t see it.

“Your strength will equal your days.” — Deuteronomy 33:25 NIV

I understand those words differently now.

God doesn’t always give us strength for the entire journey at once.

He gives us strength for today.

And when tomorrow comes, He meets us there too.

Sometimes healing doesn’t mean going back to who we were before.

Sometimes healing means moving forward and discovering who we are becoming.

And sometimes courage isn’t standing boldly without fear.

Sometimes courage is waking up uncertain and trusting God for enough strength to take the next step anyway.

Then doing it again tomorrow.

If you are in a season right now where healing feels slow, give yourself time.

You may not be able to see what God is doing yet.

But someday you may look back at the person you are today and realize:

You were healing.

You were growing.

You were stronger than you knew.

And God was carrying you through it all.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” — Psalm 28:7 NIV

Blessings,

Crystal Ridlon, LPC