Life In the Middle

There are moments in life that split your story into before and after.

Before the phone call.
Before the diagnosis.
Before the betrayal.
Before the loss.
Before the child you love began to struggle.
Before the marriage became hard.
Before the grief showed up uninvited and refused to leave.

None of us picture those moments when we dream about our future.

As parents, we imagine protecting our kids from pain, not watching them walk through it. As husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and friends, we imagine stability, joy, and peace — not sleepless nights, tears on the bathroom floor, anxiety that tightens your chest, or prayers that feel heavy with desperation.

And yet, life has a way of bringing us face-to-face with things we never saw coming.

I know this personally.

The last several months of my life have held moments I never could have imagined. Moments that shook me deeply. Moments that left me asking questions I didn’t have answers to. Moments where I realized how little control I actually have.

But here I am.

Still standing.

Not because I’m strong enough. Not because I figured it all out. Not because I suddenly became spiritually impressive.

I’m standing because of Jesus.

Honestly, where else would I go?

When life strips away your illusions of control, you begin to realize that Jesus is not just a nice addition to your life — He becomes your only real hope.

When Faith Becomes Real

It’s easy to talk about faith when life is going well.

It’s much harder when your heart is crushed and you’re trying to survive one day at a time.

But sometimes suffering reveals whether we truly believe what we say we believe.

When everything else shakes, Jesus remains.

Not distant.
Not cold.
Not angry.
Present.

Scripture says:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
— Psalm 34:18

Notice what the verse does not say.

It doesn’t say God only comes near when you’re confident. It doesn’t say He only stays close when your prayers are polished or your faith is perfect.

It says He comes near to the brokenhearted.

That means your pain does not repel Him.

Your confusion does not scare Him.

Your tears do not burden Him.

Some of you reading this are exhausted from carrying things you never thought you would have to carry. You’re trying to hold your family together while quietly falling apart yourself. You’re grieving things that are difficult to explain to other people. You smile in public and ache in private.

And maybe if you’re honest, part of you is wondering:

“God, where are You in all of this?”

I don’t pretend to have every answer.

But I know this:

Jesus has not abandoned you.

Jesus Understands Suffering

Sometimes we forget that Jesus Himself was described as:

“A man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.”
— Isaiah 53:3

Jesus understands betrayal.
He understands loss.
He understands sorrow.
He understands being misunderstood.
He understands anguish so deep that blood mixed with sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Christianity is not built on a Savior who is disconnected from pain.

It is built on a Savior who stepped directly into it.

And because He did, your suffering is not wasted.

Even when you cannot see it.

Even when you cannot feel it.

Even when the future looks unclear.

Romans 8:28 says:

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose for them.”

That verse does not mean everything is good.

Some things are devastating.

Some things are heartbreaking.

Some things leave scars.

But somehow, in ways we often cannot yet understand, God still moves in the middle of wreckage. He still redeems. He still restores. He still reaches for people sitting in darkness.

What Do You Do Now?

You keep going. It’s know, easier said then done, but keep going.

Not perfectly.
Not without tears.
Not without questions.

You just keep bringing your honest heart to Jesus.

Some days faith looks victorious. Other days faith simply looks like getting out of bed and whispering:

“Jesus, help me.” This is often where I am.

And sometimes that is enough.

You do not need to fake strength with God. He already knows where you’re hurting.

Bring Him the fear.
Bring Him the anger.
Bring Him the disappointment.
Bring Him the confusion.
Bring Him the exhaustion.

Bring Him everything. He can handle it!

Because the invitation of Jesus was never “Come to me once you have it all together.”

His invitation is:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28

That verse hits differently when life actually becomes heavy.

For the Person Barely Holding On

Like me, if you’re reading this while carrying something unimaginable, I want you to know this:

Your story is not over.

Your pain matters to God.

And even if your faith feels weak right now, Jesus is still holding onto you.

Sometimes survival itself is evidence of grace.

You may not feel strong today. You may not even recognize yourself after everything you’ve walked through.

Maybe your soul feels like Rocky Balboa at the end of every movie – especially Rocky IV.

But if you are still breathing, still hoping, still turning your eyes toward Jesus even through tears, then God is still at work in your life.

One day you may look back and realize that the very season you thought would destroy you became the place where you encountered the presence of God more deeply than ever before.

Not because suffering is good.

But because Jesus refuses to waste it.

And maybe today that’s the reminder you need:

You are not alone in this.

Jesus is still near.

And somehow, by His grace, you’re still standing.