My Struggle, Your Struggle

I was doing my workout program the other day. I was in the middle of a stretch and one of the helpful prompts came on. "You shouldn't feel any pain." I smiled to myself It occurred to me that this was how most people respond when I tell them I struggle with being single. "You shouldn't feel that way sweetie. I mean when I was young I didn't even worry about it." "Are you kidding me? Just wait until you have to live with a toddler" "Just think of all that you have. You have no idea all the I go through in a day." "He's probably right around the corner. I mean before I met my husband, I thought it was never going to happen." 

Words like this hurt. Sometimes I know they are trying to help, but I feel like I shared with them a struggle and they essentially said that my struggle isn't valid. 

The thing is, I know we all have a struggle. We all have something we all have something that causes us pain. Something we wish we could change. We pray. We hope. We dream of a better future. Yet day by day it chips away at our hope. It drags our mood down. It makes us want to give up. In our eyes it always seems worse than everyone else's pain. It has to be. I mean I live with it day in and day out. It has to be the worst and baddest thing anyone has ever seen. Maybe then I will get some sympathy. Maybe when I'm the center of attention I will gain acceptance. Maybe just maybe I will find healing.
I know I've been guilty of this. I know that I have caught myself putting own others pain because of my own. I know I have come up with reasons why my pain is worse than hers. I know I have had some really great pity parties trying to find healing or at least trying to dull the pain for a while.

But what if hope for the struggle comes not from making our struggle look worse then others, but in going to the one who can give us unlimited grace FOR the struggle? What if healing comes not when we put others down for their pain, but when we bring our broken hearts to the Healer? 

For me singleness is a struggle. It's not something I chose, but it is a good gift that God has given me. The pain is real, but so is God. This struggle is made to draw me to God and it works. I have to constantly go back to Him and gain peace and strength for the struggle. But He is amazing. He is empowering me to face this struggle with grace and courage. I'm still working on it. I still have so far to go, but Go is bigger than the struggle. He is able to see the pearl that it will create. He can encourage me from the perspective of eternity. He is good His love endure forever.
What is that for you? What is the struggle in your life that God uses to draw you to Him? It's not comfortable or easy, but you can know that in all of this God is working for your good. He cares for you and wants your heart more than anything. In the middle of all of this He will be with you. Keep going to Him. He will satisfy you. He will give you strength. He will give you grace without limit. He will enable you to face that struggle with courage.