I consider all of the things that I would do differently if I knew then what I know now. But then I think, how would I know what I know now if I had never had those painful experiences? My stomach knots up and I get teary, depressed, and anxious when I think about those things. But I would not go back and change them. The simple truth is that there is so much I would have never learned without the difficult times.

In Psalm 62:8, David implores us to trust God enough to pour out our hearts to Him and to run to Him as a refuge in difficult times. This is one of my favorite verses. It makes me think of sitting and crying and talking things out with a close friend - someone who is listening, not in judgment waiting to criticize me, but with love and compassion because that friend loves me, knows my heart, and understands what I am going through.