click here<\/a> and\u00a0read the \u2018saint sarah\u2019 series.)<\/p>\nI got so many comments, e-mails, texts and messages from people who are going through similar seasons. \u00a0So I thought I\u2019d take a minute to (hopefully) encourage you with some simple take-aways and suggestions.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n
1) Go through it, not around\/over\/under it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nWinston Churchill said, \u201cIf you\u2019re going through hell, keep going.\u201d \u00a0The same thing is true with seasons of emotional and spiritual darkness. \u00a0It\u2019s painful. \u00a0It\u2019s scary. \u00a0It\u2019s hard. \u00a0It\u2019s lonely. \u00a0And no one wants to go through it. \u00a0But if you look for shortcuts or ways to avoid it, it will only make things worse. \u00a0If you try to numb out or distract yourself or look for people to blame, you\u2019ll only add to your burden.<\/p>\n
2) Remember that silence is not absence.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nJust because you\u2019re not hearing from God like you once were, just because you\u2019re not experiencing positive emotions or hearing words of encouragement from God, doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s left you. \u00a0Just like a parent stops talking to their child so the child can rest at night, sometimes God stops talking to his children for a season \u2014 for their benefit. \u00a0But God never has and never will abandon you. \u00a0Just because he\u2019s silent, doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s absent.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
3) Take it one day at a time.<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen we\u2019re going through a hard time, it\u2019s only natural to want to know when it\u2019s going to end. \u00a0But, unfortunately, there\u2019s no way to predict how long your hard season will last. \u00a0If you look too far into the future, you will get anxious, fearful and overwhelmed. \u00a0Instead, just take it one day at a time. \u00a0Or, as I do when I\u2019m really overwhelmed, one breath at a time. \u00a0If you can take one breath, and then one more breath, and then breathe once again, you\u2019ll get through this.<\/p>\n
4) Reach out for help.<\/strong><\/p>\nTell a trusted friend, family member, mentor, counselor, pastor, therapist or spiritual director what you\u2019re going through. \u00a0Ask if they have any words of encouragement, and ask if they\u2019ll walk through this season with you so at least you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n
![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/58ded737ff7c50424d8e8f9a\/59c9e1977e2a5f917af8ffc0\/59c9e1987e2a5f917af902e1\/1506406781183\/Screen-Shot-2015-11-03-at-12.30.36-PM.png.36-PM.png?format=original\")
<\/p>\n
5) Remember what\u2019s true.<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen you\u2019re walking through darkness, it\u2019s easy to start thinking dark thoughts and buying into defeating lies. \u00a0Even if you\u2019re in a hard season, remember what\u2019s true. \u00a0You are loved, God has not abandoned you, God has a plan to give you a future and a hope, God promises to work all things out for good, you are a precious child of Divine Love.<\/p>\n
6) Let off steam.<\/strong><\/p>\nHard seasons are stressful, and the fear, anxiety, worry and sadness can take a toll on your emotional and physical self. \u00a0Even if you\u2019re struggling, remember that sometimes you just have to vent. \u00a0Let off steam. \u00a0Go for a run, take a kickboxing class, crank up the music when you\u2019re alone in your car, punch a pillow, write a poem, splash paint on a wall, dance your heart out, laugh out loud\u2026\u2026find healthy (and maybe even fun!) ways of expressing your emotions.<\/p>\n
![\"pencil1\"](\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/58ded737ff7c50424d8e8f9a\/59c9e1977e2a5f917af8ffc0\/59c9e1977e2a5f917af900ea\/1506406672662\/pencil1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
7) Help someone else.<\/strong><\/p>\nIn hard seasons, it\u2019s easy to become self-absorbed, always thinking about what you need, what you want and what you\u2019re feeling. \u00a0It\u2019s good to be self-aware, but becoming self-absorbed is really unhealthy and unhelpful. \u00a0Find someone else to help. \u00a0It will give you human contact, it\u2019ll help you find positive emotional connections, it\u2019ll occupy your time, it\u2019ll force you to be creative and it\u2019ll remind you that you\u2019re not the only person in the universe who\u2019s having a hard time.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
I hope these suggestions are helpful. \u00a0If you have other suggestions, please leave them in the comments! \u00a0And if there\u2019s anything I can do for you, you\u2019re always welcome to comment or send me a message.<\/p>\n
I love you all!!!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I spent the past week blogging about my experience of going through, and emerging from, spiritual darkness. \u00a0(If you missed it, click here and\u00a0read the \u2018saint sarah\u2019 series.) I got so many comments, e-mails, texts and messages from people who are going through similar seasons. \u00a0So I thought I\u2019d take a minute to (hopefully) encourage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3133,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2470,1300,136,3112,199,3115,3118,3121],"class_list":["post-633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dark-night-of-the-soul","tag-encouragement","tag-hope","tag-if-youre-going-through-hell-keep-going","tag-love","tag-spiritual-darkness","tag-suggestions","tag-winston-churchill"],"yoast_head":"\n
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