Struggling Between Regret and Redemption

When I started my self-care journey, I was struggling between regret and redemption. I felt stuck in depression, knowing my coping skills were actually covering-up skills.

I felt like I had been involved in some sporting event from hell: swimming an ocean, climbing a mountain, riding a horse with no name across a desert*, stopping to shoot something**, and then pedaling a bike up and down some hills and valleys. Lately, I have been on the side of the road, patching and pumping air into my worn-out tires as fast as I can, because, by God, I am determined to finish this race!

Finally, I have accepted my self-worth and God’s love fills me with the promises of His redemption.

You Are Worth It Too!

I hope you have realized your self-worth and also received God’s gift of love and redemption. I hope you have discovered something wonderfully unique about you and your purpose. As you move forward, cherish every moment of life. The moments when you know, the moments you question, the moments you doubt. The moments you soar, and the moments you fall to earth. All the moments when you experience discovery and recovery, dreams and reality, imagination and realization. Continue to be accepting and changing, resolute and resigned. Appreciate your exhaustion along with your exhilaration, because it is a sign of a well-lived life!

You are worth taking care of, your feelings are worth expressing, your boundaries are worth honoring, your physical and mental health are worth fighting for. No longer judge yourself, but love yourself. Continue to shift from all the striving and surviving and searching and struggling for validation from others to knowing you are treasured in the eyes of God.

Where do you go from here? Continue your self-care journey, applying the techniques you learned, and seeking professional help if you ever feel overwhelmed. One resource I will recommend is Hannes van Eeden. I have followed him online for years as the Wandering Ambivert, where he shared his love for photography. Professionally, he states, “I have a degree in psychology and a passion for helping others live a happier and more fulfilling life.” Check out his encouraging YouTube video, Find Your Tribe: Why You Struggle to Fit In here.

My prayer for you is a verse from Colossians, verse 3:15: “Let the peace of God rule in your heart!”

*A random pop music reference, sorry.
**Okay, full disclosure, I didn’t really shoot anything!