1. You are loved in your light, in your dark, and in every shadow in-between.

God loves you. He loved you yesterday. He will love you tomorrow. And He will love you every single day after that, no matter how far you run from Him or how many faults and failures you have. You see, He created you with purpose and intention, with light and love. He knew you weren’t going to be perfect—yet He still thought you were incredible. Because you were His.

So please, remember His love when your heart feels heavy, when your eyes are tear-soaked, when you feel lost, or even when you feel wonderful and safe in the arms of someone you love. Remember that His love is pure and won’t ever leave you. Remember that He will be here for you when you are down, when you are up, when you are filled with His glory, or tainted with sin. He loved you, He loves you, He will forever love you. And no matter what, that will never change.

2. He has not forgotten you.

I know sometimes you feel like you’re praying to the cracks in your ceiling, to the clouds floating lazily across the sky. You try to will something to happen, try to make your heart slow its beat and just trust, but it’s hard. It’s hard because you don’t have a sign, because you can’t see His face, because you don’t quite know if He’s even listening—we’ve all been there.

But what is wonderful about our God, is that He doesn’t forsake us. He doesn’t leave us. He will never abandon us, especially when we need Him the most. So when your heart starts going wild in your chest, when your palms start sweating, when you can’t calm the racing thoughts in your head—remember that He has not forgotten you. He has promised to be with you, all of your days. And our God keeps His promises.

3. You are made in His image; you are strong.

Women are amazing creatures. We are strong and sensitive, soft and bold, tender and tough. We are made of so many little pieces, sewn together in His care. And we must remember that. You must remember that.

There will be days when darkness clouds your skies, when you are heartbroken, when you are betrayed, when you fall short, when you feel so far away from God’s light. But He created you in His image. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. And that means you will rise. You will overcome. You will push through what this life has thrown at you, and you will become even stronger than you already are.

4. Prayer will give you peace.

Sometimes you get caught up in what life has thrown at you: deadlines, decisions, dates, men, romance, temptation, fear, anxiety, change, heartbreak, loneliness, bitterness. It’s so easy to make yourself sick, make yourself dizzy at all that’s going on. It’s so easy to forget that talking to Him will bring you peace.

Please remember that He is listening to those thoughts in your head already, begging you to bring them to Him, to let your weary head rest. Prayer is powerful. It connects you to Him in unexplainable ways. It brings healing and light. It gives hope.

When you are spiraling out of control, when you are anxious, when you just don’t feel right—remember to pray and re-center yourself in His loving arms once again.

5. You can always find your footing in His word.

Prayer is powerful, but His word will give you even more strength. Open your Bible. Let the words wash over you. Let the verses bring you calm and the chapters ease your worries away. Read the word as if it is a story written for you. Let it change you. Let it settle your nerves. Let it help you find your way back to Him, free of fear and filled with love.

6. Everything is temporary, but His love remains.

You may be going through something that has shaken your core, made you slip up, demand more out of you than you can manage. Unfortunately, this happens to all of us and it tries to take away our faith. Don’t let it.

Remember that everything you face in this life is temporary. Every pain shall pass. Every ache and bruise and break will heal in time. Remember that your heart won’t always feel empty, your soul won’t always long for what it doesn’t yet have. Remember that everything in this world is temporary, but through all of this—God’s love is permanent.

7. Your burdens are not solely yours to bear.

God did not intend for you to walk this world alone. He has created family for you, friends, significant others, and other Christian women to walk this walk with you. These people are imperfect. They will hurt you, but they will love you. They will challenge you. They will be beside you on your walk with Him, and you will learn from them.

Remember that you are not alone. You have other people to turn to, other believers to lean on, other souls who care for you deeply, and will encourage and help you grow. Remember that they have felt pain, too, and they are here to listen. Remember that it is okay to lean on them. Remember that they are here to help lift your burdens. And remember, most of all, that you don’t have to live with baggage—God is here to carry that weight.

8. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and remember He is with you—always.

You do not have control over time, over circumstance, over life, over love. Sometimes this is frightening, but this is incredible, too. Because we are merely human, not meant to take control of this world by ourselves. We are not supposed to understand what unfolds outside of our plan or make sense of questions with no answers. But He is, and He knows.

God is here. He is next to you, He is beside you, He is in front of you, guiding your every step. In the moments where you fear the future, where you question a major decision, where you don’t know what path to head down next, when you’re wondering if you’ll ever find love—know this—He is with you, always. And He has a plan.