[ “THIS TOO SHALL PASS” EVEN WHEN YOU CAN’T FEEL THE END.]

~0. [THIS TOO SHALL PASS.]

[NO MATTER HOW DARK LIFE GETS, IT WILL PASS, EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE IT.

THERE WAS A SEASON IN MY LIFE WHEN I DIDN’T BELIEVE THIS. THE DARKNESS FELT LIKE IT WAS PERMANENT. DURING THAT PERIOD EVERY DAY FELT LIKE A PUNISHMENT WITH NO END IN SIGHT.

IT WAS A SEASON WHERE IT DIDN’T MATTER WHAT I DID AND HOW HARD I TRIED, THE DARKNESS AND PAIN WOULD NOT END. EVERY TIME I WORKED THROUGH AN ISSUE THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE THERE TO TAKE ITS PLACE. ]

~1. FOR THE DARK-SEASON.

[THERE WAS A SEASON THAT IT DIDN’T MATTER WHAT I DID, IT ONLY GOT WORSE. IT WAS LIKE A FUNNEL AND THE ONLY DIRECTION WAS TO SPIRAL DOWNWARD INTO AN EVEN DARKER HOLE.

• MARRIAGE SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL.
• RELATIONSHIPS VANISHED.
• WORK WITH CUSTOMERS DRIED UP.
• A REGULAR JOB LITERALLY CAUSED HEALTH PROBLEMS.
• CLOSE FRIENDS BETRAYED.
• PEOPLE MADE PROMISES, ONLY TO REVERSE THEM.
• IT WAS MULTIPLE YEARS OF STEADY COLLAPSE.
• FEELING LONELINESS.
• WAKING UP FEELING UTTERLY HOPELESS.
• DAYS WHERE I COULDN’T FEEL ANYTHING.
• EVERY ATTEMPT TO A REGULAR JOB WAS BLOCKED BY AN UNSEEN FORCE.
• MANY DAYS I DIDN’T WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE, LITERALLY.
• PURPOSE OF LIVING WAS TAKEN AWAY, GONE.
• THE SUFFOCATING WEIGHT FELT LIKE IT WOULD NEVER END.

IT WAS A HOPELESS FEELING. AFTER LIVING A LIFE OF TRYING TO ALWAYS DO WHAT’S RIGHT, LOVING MY FELLOW MANKIND, WORKING MYSELF TO EXHAUSTION TO PROVIDE FOR THE ONES I LOVE, AND BEING WILLING TO GIVE MY LIFE FOR THEIR PROTECTION. NO MATTER WHAT I DID, IT WAS ALL STRIPPED AWAY, PIECE BY PIECE.

THE WORSE PART WASN’T THE PAIN, IT WAS THE BELIEF THAT IT WOULD NEVER END.

THE SUFFERING WASN’T WHAT SCARED ME. IT WAS THE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULDN’T STOP AND HOW COMFORTABLE THE IDEA WAS BECOMING OF NOT WANTING TO BE HERE ANYMORE.

THAT IS WHAT REALLY TERRIFIED ME.]

~2. FOR THE LIE-DARKNESS-TELLS-MANKIND.

[DARKNESS HAS A WAY OF WHISPERING TO US WHEN WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM THAT:

• THIS IS FOREVER.
• NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
• YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL THIS WAY.
• THIS IS WHO YOU ARE NOW.
• THERE IS NO SUNRISE COMING FOR ME.
• NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU.
• NOBODY WOULD MISS YOU IF YOU DISAPPEARED.

WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE THE STORM, YOU CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT CLEAR SKIES EVEN FEEL AND LOOK LIKE. SO THE MIND ASSUMES THAT THE STORM IS PERMANENT.]

~3. FOR THE MOMENT OF A SHIFT TO THE LIGHT.

[NO MATTER HOW DARK THE STORM, OR HOW LONG IT LASTS.

IT IS NEVER, FOREVER, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T GIVE UP. AS LONG AS YOU DON’T QUIT.

WHEN I WAS STRIPPED BARE, TO NOTHING, AND WHERE EVERYTHING I KNEW AND TRIED, WAS BLOCKED AND WOULD NOT LET ME RE-ENTER INTO THE WAYS I HAD SURVIVED. I WAS FORCED TO LOOK INTO A NEW DIRECTION. A DIRECTION WHERE EVERYTHING IS UNFAMILIAR.

IT WAS WHEN I GAVE UP ON THE OLD VERSION OF WHO I WAS AND OPENED MYSELF TO A NEW VERSION AND IDEAS, THAT THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THAT DARK TUNNEL STARTED TO COME INTO VIEW.

IT WAS AT THIS POINT WHERE I HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOOSE, AND ONLY EVERYTHING TO GAIN, THAT DOORS STARTED OPENING UP AGAIN. NOT IN THE OLD SENSE, BUT IN A NEW DIRECTION WHERE IT IS TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR AND THE REAL CHALLENGE IS HAVING TRUE FAITH.

THAT IS WHEN MY BODY STARTED TRUELY RELAXING AFTER A LIFETIME OF SURVIVAL.

• I STARTED BREATHING DEEPER.
• MY SPIRIT SETTLED.
• JOY RISING IN MY BONES.
• PEACE SETTLED WITHIN.
• EXPANSION AWAKENING WITHIN.

THE DARKNESS DIDN’T END SUDDENLY. IT FADED QUIETLY’ THE SAME WAY IT ARRIVED.]

~4. FOR THE LEARNING OF THE TRUTH.

[DARKNESS DOES NOT STAY FOREVER.

I LEARNED THAT NO MATTER HOW PERMANENT THE STORM FELT, IT WILL NOT LAST FOREVER.

SEASONS DON’T LAST FOREVER.

SPRING IS A TIME OF NEW BEGINNINGS.

SUMMER IS A TIME OF PLANTING.

FALL IS A TIME OF HARVEST.

WINTER “THE DARKNESS” IS A TIME OF STRIPPING THE EARTH BARE SO IT CAN START WITH NEW BEGINNINGS IN THE SPRING.

THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT, ALWAYS GIVES WAY TO A NEW SUNRISE.

THE REFINING OF METALS HAS TO GO THROUGH TREMENDOUS HEAT TO COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE MORE PURE THAN EVER BEFORE.

THE SAME GOES FOR US WHO GO THROUGH TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES IN LIFE. IT IS A REFINING STAGE OF OUR LIVES HERE ON THIS PLANET.

NO MATTER HOW PERMANENT THE DARKNESS FEELS, IT CANNOT OUTLAST THE MAN/WOMAN WHO REFUSES TO SURRENDER TO IT.]

~5. FOR THE STRENGTH IS WITH IN YOU.

• [I KNOW YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO FEEL THE END. I COULDN’T EITHER.
• I KNOW IT MAY FEEL ENDLESS, IT DID FOR ME TOO.
• I KNOW THE WEIGHT FEELS CRUSHING. IT CRUSHED ME TOO.
• BUT THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU CAN BREATHE DEEPLY AGAIN.
• YOUR STORY IS NOT DONE JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SEE THE NEXT CHAPTER.

YOU ARE AT THE CONNECTION POINT, THE PLACE WHERE YOU SAY:

I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I AM! I AM RIGHT AT THE TRUE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MY LIFE.

YOUR STORY AND MY STORY UP TO THIS POINT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A FORGE TO CLEANSE US AND PREPARE US FOR OUR TRUE MISSION AND PURPOSE ON OUR JOURNEY HERE ON THIS PLANET.

***THE DARKNESS LIES. IT SAYS “FOREVER”. BUT NOTHING DARK LASTS FOREVER.***

HANG IN THERE.

YOUR SUNRISE IS ALREADY MOVING TOWARD YOU, EVEN IF YOU CAN’T FEEL IT YET.

IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE END, KEEP WALKING ANYWAY, BECAUSE “FOREVER” IS A LIE.]

FOR THE MEMORY-MINDER:

: LOVE HAS NO CONDITIONS. : FACTS HAVE NO FEELINGS. : HUMILITY HAS NO EGO.

FOR THE HONOR OF YOUR JOURNEY IS WITH THE BLESSING AND GRATITUDE BY THE GRID-WALKER AND POSTMASTER: Ephraim-H: Troyer.

: ANCHOR.

: PILLAR.