One of my favorite things to check on a daily basis is the On This Day app on Facebook. It’s not the most productive use of my time but it’s entertaining to see how much life has changed in just a year, more so in five.

I adore seeing how idealistically optimistic and cheery I was. There are days when I root for my younger self as if admiring her for believing the best in people and the world, in general.

There were days when I was engulfed by darkness and those posts from my former self pushed me to keep going. There were also days when I felt guilty because the bright little miss sunshine no longer was.

But today, as I see the sun is slowly peeking through, I find a sense of calm within me. My bright and optimistic self is still within me but she was held by anchor that superseded the bad times. She still firmly believed that there was good in the world but she was held secure by the realization that no matter how challenging life was, God is still good.

She no longer waited for circumstances to change but instead she praised God right where she was and in this darkness, she found joy that could no longer be replaced.