Joy Comes in the Morning

I remember when I was a teenager, maybe 13-14, my dad had a serious talk with me. My parents had divorced when I was 10 and I lived most of the year with my dad in West Virginia, but flew to Florida every summer and Christmas break to spend time with my mom. My dad was trying, as best he could, to prepare me for the adolescent stage of life.

He said, “Brenda, there will days during your teenage years that you feel very depressed. Just know that this is normal and it will pass.” He went on to say, “A lot of changes are happening during these years, with your body and your mind. Sometimes you will feel very sad, but I want you to know, it won’t last forever.”

This was very helpful advice I received from my dad that day, because he was right. I did have those days. Days where I felt “less than” the other girls around me. Days where I felt used and days I felt fat and ugly. Just like dad said, those days passed and I managed to make it through those difficult adolescent years.

I want to give you some advice, young women. There will be days, as a newlywed, when you wonder why you even married this guy. There will be days, as a young mother, that you wonder if you can physically go through yet another night without sleep. There will be days, when your teenager says they hate you and your heart just can’t take it. There will be days you feel “less than” the other moms, the other wives, and the other co-workers.

Listen to me ... this is normal.

These days will not last forever. You will get through whatever season of life you are experiencing and you will live to tell about it. I used to say, “God somehow filled in the gaps when my strength ran out” and I believe that. We have hard days, but it doesn’t last forever. If it does last for an extended period of time, I recommend you schedule a visit with a counselor. Your mental health is of utmost importance.

Joy comes in the morning. Hallelujah.

Many times in my personal life, when I went through a period of depression, I was just physically exhausted. I just needed REST. Lord, just let me get a nap. Once I caught up on sleep, my whole mindset was different. Husbands grow up (most of the time), babies get through those newborn stages, your teenagers mature and realize they really do love you, and you finally get to the point where you are confident in who you are and stop comparing yourself to others. Actually, you get to the point where you don’t give a rip what other people think anymore. Life changes and your moods do too.

So, don’t let those hard days worry you. Learn from them and move on to the next day. One day soon, you will walk outside and suddenly notice how blue the sky is.