Twice a year I participate in 21 Days of Prayer with my tribe. But this time around, I had to approach my prayers differently. There was a season where I prayed for healing (on this side) for my Mom, but God had another plan. Right now I’m in a broken place and my hope is being restored.

Day by day.

Monday morning’s message from Pastor Aldger talked about what we have to do as believers in the midst of our valley, which is:

• See things the way God sees them.
• Hear what God is saying.
• Say what God is saying.

For me, there really is no other way to look at my situation but through the eyes of the God of Hope. A few weeks ago, a sweet friend of mine said to me, “I’m amazed by your strength.” If she only knew. But by the way my God is set up, all I can do is say thank you. Thank you God for keeping me! If I tried to go about this process the world’s way, I know I would lose it. But how do we find purpose in our pain? Can God still heal our broken hearts and carry us in the midst of it all? How do we hear what God is saying in our valley or when things just don’t make sense.

I know that in the midst of pain or even a tragedy, it can be challenging to hear the voice of God. It’s almost as if there’s a constant battle between voices. Is it the voice of God or is it the father of lies? I’m throwing myself into the mix, because this has been my life for the past three months as I adjust to this new normal. There are moments when I’m OK, and others when I’m not. When I lay my head down at night is when my thoughts settle and my heart is at ease—only to wake up again to this reality called LIFE.

One of my favorite scenes in Beyoncé Carter’s Lemonade is when a woman said:

When your back gets against the wall and your wall against your back, who you call? …You gotta call Him. You gotta call Jesus. …You gotta call Him ’cause you ain’t got another hope.

God truly is my only HOPE, and it is my prayer for anyone missing their Mom, a child, or anyone you love dearly, that you will put your hope and trust in Him. Pray. A LOT. Matter of fact, don’t stop praying. Why? Because I know without a doubt that there is a voice that is not of God trying to give its raggedy two cents. Pastor Jimmy Evans calls him the “Hurt Whisperer”. I fight that voice every. single. day. That voice wants so desperately to separate us from the love of God and make us doubt who He is, and who we are in Him. But through prayer and submerging myself in worship and the word, it weakens the attempts that try to quiet God’s voice.

Tragedy can give Satan a powerful foothold in our lives. It’s during times of pain and vulnerability that he can do the most damage…but God’s voice always brings messages of love and grace and forgiveness. — When Life Hurts, Pastor Jimmy Evans

No matter the outcome, we can trust and believe that God is faithful to redeem us…even in our valley and even while we hurt. We must believe in the core of our hearts that all things work together for good and nothing about our circumstances will ever compare to the glory which will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Pray without ceasing, find purpose in your pain, and listen ONLY to the voice of the God who was and is to come.

A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.  Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken” Isaiah 40:3-5