Life is a constant roller coaster; up, down and all around. Never a smooth ride. In this three-part series of Restoration, we will discuss the necessary steps that can help lead you to a life of fulfillment.

First, we begin with Acknowledgment. How can we possibly grow from something, if we don’t know what is hindering us? Whether we allow ourselves to believe it or not, we are all struggling. That we must first acknowledge.

Struggle is not prejudiced.

Everyone in the world comes face to face with it; large or small. Majority of our struggles are evident; a lost job, a sick child, a disability, etc. On the other hand, there are struggles we face that we either do not recognize or choose to ignore; poor friendships/relationships, an unhappy career, etc. Pride is often the enemy, allowing us to think we can push through any obstacle on our own. However, when we choose the path to ignore our struggle, we hinder ourselves of true freedom and joy.

It’s fair to say, in some cases, acknowledging a struggle means remembering a painful past; something we would rather just forget, and understandably so. But while we bury that pain, we also bury ourselves. There is not a right or wrong answer to how someone should deal with a traumatic past, but the truth is, there is no light possible if we keep ourselves buried.

We must work to BREAK FREE.

Today, I encourage you to face whatever it is you have buried.

What is that struggle?

What is it that you seem to consistently come face to face with?

If you are unsure how to take this first step, try talking to someone you trust; someone who will listen. Ask them if they’ve witnessed any signs of struggle that you may not have been aware of? Or, seek spiritually supportive counsel; someone in the church that can genuinely and lovingly guide you without judgment.

It’s important that we take time to seek out this first step. We must no longer accept these struggles to steal our joy.

When we stop and ACKNOWLEDGE that we are one step closer to FREEDOM.

by Megan Snyder (Hope in Struggle Ambassador)