You Were Meant to Read This Today

You Need to Read This: I’m Just the Messenger…  Originally Written: August 9, 2015

Since returning from the incredible Teen ACTS Retreat just two weeks ago, life has been... intense. There’s been some minor turbulence family tensions and financial worries (thankfully manageable), but also heartbreaking losses and heavy news.

A dear friend lost her 14-year-old son.

My “like-a-daughter” figure lost her beloved grandma.

Another close friend’s godmother was diagnosed with cancer.

My best friend is suffering from severe anemia. And two people one like a sister, the other family for over 20 years are watching their marriages fall apart.

I even took holy water to a friend being bullied at work yes, bullied by demons. Let’s just say my Jesus "high" from the retreat has been in constant tug-of-war with real life. And Satan? He’s probably chuckling, because he knows how easily those holy highs can get snuffed out by heartache. But guess what? Not this time.

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."

~~~~~Thomas Jefferson

The moment you lose your peace, you lose your power. And trust me, I’ve had more moments than I’d like to admit when fear, anger, and distrust drowned out my faith. But today? I’m choosing to stand in it. So bring it on. Because now I know what’s really going on and I’m ready to fight back with prayer, praise, and purpose.

I always pray before I write asking God to send the message those chosen "readers" need most. If you’re reading this, it’s not by accident. God sent you here. He misses you. He loves you. And He wants more of you not all your time, not most of it just some of it. And if you’re so busy that you can’t even breathe? That’s your sign you need more of God, not less.

"Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them."Albert Einstein

Limits are lies most of the time, they’re self-imposed or projected onto us by others.

No one, I repeat no one, has the right to place limits on your purpose. And when they try to? That’s your cue to prove them wrong. That’s why miracles exist.

I’ve always pushed the envelope. If something sparks my soul, I chase it relentlessly. I pray, I move, I leap even if I don’t see results right away. You don’t give up just because it’s hard. You keep walking the walk even when it’s uphill and ugly because the finish line often holds a completely different blessing than the one you were running toward.

Sometimes, your detour is the destiny. It’s easy to feel like you’re not getting anywhere, especially when disappointment keeps showing up. But what if you are getting closer? What if you’ve been on the right path this whole time but just didn’t trust it enough to see it? Family, friends, even people with the best intentions may try to lead you elsewhere. They don’t always know what’s right for you. And it's hard to go against their hopes because you love them and want to make them proud. But you must trust the divine whisper over the crowd noise.

Following your purpose might scare others it might even scare you. But this life isn’t about “just getting by.” You weren’t made for that. Your calling may not look “safe.” It may not look like anything they recognize. But it’s yours. Follow it anyway.

So how do we stay on the path when life is completely, undeniably, soul-crushingly hard? How do we keep showing up when the world feels broken? The truth? Sometimes, we don’t. Sometimes, we collapse. We cry. We question everything. But then, we get up and we keep going. Because even in our most painful moments, God is whispering: “I’m here.” And that whisper is enough to keep moving.

Art work By: Toni Carmine Salerno

We all wish life came with a manual especially when tragedy hits. But God is the manual. You already know the answer. Close your eyes. Feel it. That’s Him. And if the same truth keeps returning to you over and over? That’s the one you’re supposed to trust even when it’s hard to let go. Some days you’ll barely make progress. Other days, it will feel like you're being carried by divine winds. That’s how you know it’s not your plan it’s His. The enemy will try everything to derail your purpose. But the devil has no power unless you hand it to him.

So fight harder. Pray longer. Believe bolder. You don’t have to make a giant leap today. Just take one small step. Right now. Pause. Find a quiet moment. Breathe. Invite the Holy Spirit into that breath. Tell God what you need. Tell Him you're listening. And then? Start looking. The answers are already coming.

He is here. In the silence. In the beauty. In the pain. God sent you this reminder because your soul needed it today. He misses you. Come back to Him.