Pain is either a teacher or a jailer. It's your choice whether you'll use your experiences as a step of wisdom as you risk going higher, or as another link in the chain that's dragging you deeper into the dungeon.
The jailers will try to put you in cages made of everything from fear, shame, rejection, and hopelessness, to anger, bitterness, doubt, and cynicism. But no matter what they do, you are always the one with the key to the door.
Overwhelm chaos with peace. Strengthen what's been weakened. Speak life to all that's fallen. Bless everything that needs restored. Rejoice in God when it makes no sense to.
Let God transform you in this place by allowing Him to show you yourself, your relationships, and your circumstances as He does. Let Him bring His peace to your heart, mind, and your body in all of it. It’s His delight to strengthen you in the midst of your enemies, so you can deal powerfully and brilliantly with every difficult thing around you, and confidently take the next step with Him, wherever He leads.
This suffering isn't God's plan for your life, and it doesn't get to define you. But every season of adversity is an opportunity to recognize what is and isn’t part of who you truly are in Jesus—to let go of the old you and embrace the new. Don't let a present limitation become your future identity.
"I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I'll start over with you, and build you up again” (Jer. 31:3b-4a, MSG).