If you could come up with all the words that meant utterly hopeless, helpless, and ready to give up,  that would be me almost 7 years ago.

I came from a Christian home, surrounded by the love and Christian guidance of parents who truly wanted what was best for me.

Their prayer was that I would live my life only and truly for the Lord.

I was exceeding in school and had so many extra-curricular activities on the go that I never found myself bored.

You would have found me a bright, cheerful, outgoing, bubbly kind of child. Ready to catch on to any adventure, inquisitive, and willing to learn.

Yet, even though everything was fine, little did I know that things would not be this way for long.

Shortly after taking on two grades in one, getting involved in several community projects, and my local newspaper I fell very sick.

It was not the kind of the body, where there is a definite timeline when health will return.

It was the kind that seeped into the soul and left me not knowing what my future would ever hold. I floundered in a mental exhaustion and

confusion, not knowing what had become of me and falling deep into despair.

Through it all I was having a battle - the battle of finding hope in a very dark part of my life.

Only when I was in my darkest hour (to me at the time) did I found that the foundation which had been fostered in me as a child came back to 

remind me of a love, far deeper - far greater than I could imagine.

Bible verses of promise would flash to my mind and I would repeat them. They kept me going, got me through that dark tunnel of the unknown.

Why did I tell you this story?

Because, as young women, if you ever experience this deep, dark place when all hope seems lost and you feel forsaken, know that 

Jesus is very faithful. There IS HOPE in the darkness.

He will never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5b), He will cause your sorrow to be turned to joy (John 16:20), and even if you don’t understand

God has a plan for your life like no other - He will not disappoint.

For me, I found that through this experience, I learned that I cannot do anything on my own and my life is not mine - it is Christ’s.

What I do is not me doing it, but Christ doing it through me. His love must shine forth. His goodness must be shown. His holiness must be

mirrored. 

What can I say about trials? Is it not through hard times that we learn the best lessons of our lives? Are they not refining our character for good, just

like gold is refined many times to become pure and reflect the light? They may be hard to bear, but we know that God gives us all the strength to

overcome (2 Corinthians 12:9) My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

In my story, my family and I were able to show something of God’s love to the many doctors and councillors that I saw during this time. They saw a family that wanted

to serve God, parents that loved their children, and God’s hand working in their lives. 

Also, my utter weakness turned out to be the time God could work the most - give me the strength to overcome, and show HIS LOVE.

It truly was a blessing in disguise which I never would have seen then. For, I would not be where I am, doing what I’m doing today 

if it were not for this hard time in my life.

And perhaps, through my experience I will have the opportunity to breathe into someone else’s hopelessness the love and wonderful faithfulness of Christ. 

The hope that no matter what we go through here on earth, no matter what we don’t understand, no matter how helpless we feel at times, God’s love is always there and He uses these circumstances for our GOOD!

If you are going through something similar, do find comfort as you go through the steps you need to get well again that God is by your side.

His love is engulfing you, and he wraps His infinite wings of grace about you.

Have hope, you are never alone and God will never forsake you. You can be sure of that.