Hey friends, I’m back. It’s been a few weeks since I have shown up in this space because honestly it’s been hard to articulate exactly what I want to say here.

It’s crazy how sometimes even when I feel like I have so much to say, I can’t find the right words.

But here I am.

Trying to articulate

&

process

&

encourage.

So stick with me.

The past few days have been heavy on my heart. I am the type of person who feels emotions deeply, and I feel for my friends who are walking through hard times, deeply too, (enneagram 6 anyone?)

And in the course of the last few days, loss has been experienced, and hard stuff has ensued.

No one is ever promised an easy walk on this side of eternity and I have been reminded of that now more than ever.

I have struggled with loss from an early age, and honestly now that I think about it, I feel like God allowed me to go through it at 13 so that I would be able to sit here at 21 and be able to encourage, and love my people who are walking through it now, well.

I didn’t ask for loss.

No one ever does.

But God is using it.

As I was hugging my mentor that night, and then listening to a friend update me on some struggles she’s walking through a few minutes after that- I thanked God for giving me the ability to understand these types of hardships, and losses.

Could I have lived without the loss I experienced? Yes. But am I thankful to be able to understand exactly what my friends are walking through? Definitely.

Because supporting and loving my friends where they are at, is something that is important to me.

This is really the whole idea of community.

Being fully present.

I have walked through hard stuff, and have not had to walk through any of it alone because my friends have always shown up before I have even had to ask.

So, I count it a blessing to be able to walk with my friends as trials and tribulations come up, and to be able to lift them up, point them to Jesus, and love them through it.

Daily.

Hope has been something that I have been clinging onto lately.

Like white-knuckling.

Not letting go.

That type of clinging.

Because hope is what is needed here in seasons like this. As Christian people, we believe and know that these hard seasons are not going to last forever. That’s a promise.

But it’s a challenge nonetheless.

We have hope that God is going to show up, and provide in ways that He knows we need.

I have full on wrestled with hope. So if you are wrestling with hope too, know you are not alone in it.

I am wrestling with you, and hoping for you. And I am ready to give all the hugs if that is needed too.

Continue to lean into hope. And always know that there are people in your corner.

-Taylor Kate