I am grateful for the bad.

When we praise God, are we to only praise Him for the good? Or is it okay also to praise Him for the bad? These are questions I ask myself at 22 years old, as I sit on my bed faced with the weight of my reality.

The past few months have been anything but ordinary. Work trips, fleeting love, rising temperatures, and stressful work days. It all seems to come at once, and it never seems to slow down.

The beginning of the year started in a relationship I was sure would last forever, but ended abruptly as February turned into March. My biggest prayer was "Lord, please let me find another man attractive. I don't know if I ever will." And by golly did He let me. April was filled with silent attraction that came on slowly & May showed me the fun of a budding romance. June presented itself as a month to prove it was over.

Sadness has been present in every month this year. Tears well up in my eyes on the nights that I never think will end. Boys let me down easy as my heart crashes to the ground. I fall in love with those close enough to touch but not steady enough to hold on to.

A dear friend in my life told me "Being thankful only for the good things that happen doesn't sit well with me, we should be grateful for the bad things that happen to us, too." And He is right. We cannot feel the good times as deeply without knowing that the bad times were there. We cannot understand the depth of joy without feeling the weight of sadness. If everything was good, nothing would be good. If everything was bad, nothing would be bad. Had everything been good in my life and no bad existed, then I would have nothing to compare it to so goodness would mean nothing.

We sit in our hurt & we wallow in our pain, but it never lasts forever. For joy comes in the morning, just as He tells us in Psalm 30.

1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you restored my health.

3 You brought me up from the grave,[a] O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!

Praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

xx, caro