Keep Going

I wrote this article over a year ago, and didn't know what to do with it, so I let it be. I figured in time, I would know when and how to share it. Little did I know when I wrote this that it would become the very message I would need myself, a year later.

Recently, I felt God put a message on my heart. It was so short and sweet. Simple even. But simple does not always mean easy. The message was, “Keep going.”

We have all been in situations where it was hard to do just that, to keep going. Instead of pushing forward, we felt as if we should give up, or at least move on. That the happiness we see in other people’s lives, the financial stability, or the close knit family relationships just is not our lot in life. We say things like, “Oh well, it is what it is.” We might think that it is God’s plan or even punishment for the ways we have failed to live sin free lives. We get complacent and accept that ours is a story of hurt, disappointments, and maybe even trauma. And while acceptance is necessary in order to heal, to forgive, and to grow, we have to be careful not to accept and get stuck. There is a difference between acceptance that frees us and acceptance that imprisons us. The latter can lead us down a path of anger and bitterness, where the enemy will welcome us with open arms. And this is where the message to keep going becomes important.

Since God knows hardship can break us, since He knows struggles can lead us away from Him and even into the open arms of the enemy, why does He let us go through them at all? Why does He not just protect us from all the bad things? It could seem contradictory to some that an all loving, all knowing, and all powerful God would let people drift down a dark path in life.

Could it be that, in addition to our free will granted to us out of love, He allows this so that our testimony will be all the more powerful, so that our faith will be all the stronger and our love for Him all the deeper? And could it be that in having those things, we are in fact set up to live a better life? I invite you to pause here and think about that for a while. Pray on it.Could it be that hardships, struggles, and even dark times become a gift, but only if we keep going and let God lead us through them and out of them on the other side?

I think God’s plan for all of our lives is one of victory in the end.I think God wants us to keep going so that He can turn our lives into that story of victory. So that He can provide the testimony by which we can proclaim the good news, by faith as well as by experience.

But I wonder how many of us feel like our lives are a story of hurt, rejection, failure, or heartbreak because we are not letting God continue, or even start, His work to make it a story of victory.

Keep going because God made you.

We read in the Bible that God made man and woman, Adam and Eve, in His image. We read that we are to love our brothers, sisters, and even enemies because as humans, we are all made by God, for God, and in God’s image. That means He made you in His image as well. You probably already know that. But have you ever stopped to really sit with the implications of that statement? I invite you to insert your own name into that statement and see how that feels. Say it out loud, declare it, and receive it. “God made me, [your name here] in His image.” Even on your darkest days, in your weakest moments, and in your biggest mistakes, that truth cannot be erased. God created you in His image and for a purpose. He has the original blueprint, and He did not make any mistakes with any of us. And now we get to lean on Him so that He can guide us to become as close to a perfect match to that blueprint as possible. The perfect version of you already exists.

Keep going because God has a plan.

A very popular passage in the Bible speaks of how God has a plan for His people. In Jeremiah 29:11, we read that God has a plan for us, not to harm us but to protect us. And in that we can find a lot of comfort. However, it is important to know that this promise did not come in a vacuum but was made to the Israelites who were exiled. The promise was made to them that God would bring them back out of slavery, that He would restore them, and bring them home. Because He had a plan. But it was not without trials, tribulation, or strengthening through hard times that God would bring about His plan for them. Seventy years of it to be exact. I cling to this verse when I go through hard times in life. Things like financial uncertainties, identity crisis, past trauma coming to the surface, and difficult family dynamics have become more manageable because of the peace I find in God and His promise. We cannot stop life’s struggles nor avoid them. So what can we do? We can find peace in the promises that God has made, that even in the darkest, toughest, hardest times, we can lean on Him, trust Him, and let Him work out things for good in our lives. We can make sure to keep going until God reveals His plan for us.

Keep going because God hears you.

When we pray, God hears us. But how do we know this? Part of it is simply believing that He hears us. And part of it is paying attention and noticing our prayers being answered. One of the most important things to remember is that God will answer your prayer the way He knows you need it, not the way you may be expecting. For example, if you are struggling financially, and you pray for God to provide, it could be that you imagine an inheritance, winning a lottery ticket, or some other unexpected money coming in. And you might miss the job opportunity that God is sending your way as a means to improve your financial situation. I am learning through my prayer that God will answer my prayers, the big and the small ones. And I notice this by making sure that I am tuned in and open to noticing when this happens. I write my prayer requests down, I date them, I go back to them, and check them off when answered, not in a way to keep score, but so that I can see how God is really hearing me. What more proof do I need than that?

Keep going because God is with you.

I grew up feeling alone almost all the time. No one who knew me could have guessed this was how I felt. On the outside, I was a normal, happy girl who had the same kind of issues as any of my friends and peers. Scraped knees as a child, broken heart as a teenager, and the normal amount of identity crisis coming into adulthood. What no one knew was how I struggled with a trauma from my past that had shaped much of my personality and behavior. I felt alone because I carried it all in silence, by myself. I thought something was wrong with me, and that in turn caused guilt and shame within me. It was not until I found others, as an adult, who expressed having been through the same, that I realized nothing was wrong with me. Once that happened, I was able to work through and even release the guilt and shame. But it took knowing others were with me in it to be able to move beyond. And I was not walking with God yet at that time. But having others by my side helped me. Much in the same way, God is by our side and does not leave us as long as we turn to Him. Now, when challenges come my way, and they sure do, I try to keep calm and not let the enemy take hold of my thoughts. I continue to pray, to praise, and to trust. I continue to lean on God, and while my faith does not grant me immunity to life’s struggles, challenges, hardships, or attacks, I go through them with more peace than ever before because I know that God is with me. I keep going so that He can bring me through it.

Keep going because it is all bigger than you.

One of my favorite things to do when I feel like life is overwhelming is watching the sunset. Having the privilege of living in a city that offers some beautiful sceneries for sunsets, I truly do not do this often enough. But when I do, I am reminded of how small I am. Not insignificant, but small. I stand there with nothing but ocean in front of me and watch the sun, our lifeline here on earth, slowly disappear below the horizon, turning the entire sky into an array of shades and colors. And I remind myself that tomorrow, the whole show will be repeated. And the next day, and the next day. This display of God’s hand continuously at work, available to witness every single day, reminds me that it is not just about me. All over the world, every single person witnesses the same sun as I do. The same sun turns night into day and day into night over the entire globe. As I live my life day by day, it is easy to get sucked into the idea that I am at the center of it all. I am not. I am the only common denominator in every aspect of my own life, but I am by no means at the center of the universe. When we can step back and understand how small we are in the grand scheme of things, we can find grace in the imperfections and comfort in the knowledge that we do not have to have it all figured out. A much bigger force is at work, and He knows all the ins and outs, has it all figured out and planned already. That means we do not have to carry the weight on our shoulders.

A message for mothers as you keep going

Your story is not a story of barely holding on. It is a story still being shaped, one that carries more strength and beauty than you probably give yourself credit for. Even when life feels heavy or confusing, there is a steadying hand over your life, guiding you, strengthening you, and reminding you that you are not walking through any of this alone.

You were created with intention and purpose. There is nothing accidental about you. Every part of your journey, even the messy or overwhelming pieces, can become something meaningful when you let yourself lean into the One who knows you best. You do not have to have every answer or see the whole path to take the next step. You just have to keep going, one brave moment at a time.

My hope is that you feel encouraged to keep turning toward God in the quiet ways that feel natural to you. Not perfectly, not with pressure, but with honesty. And I hope you feel reminded that you are held, supported, and seen more deeply than you realize.

Courage, Love and Blessings, Always!

Amanda Medina