It's Okay Not to Be Okay

We live in a world in a hurry with sorrow. The moment pain shows up, people rush to cheer us up, distract us, make us turn the page. But Jesus said something surprising: blessed — happy, favored — are those who mourn. He didn't tell them to stop crying. He promised comfort to those who weep. That means your sadness is not a lack of faith, or weakness, or something to be ashamed of. It is part of the path, and God walks it with you. You don't have to force a smile to please God. He receives your tears as a prayer. Today, give yourself the permission perhaps no one else has given you: the permission to not be okay. Feeling pain is not the opposite of having faith. Sometimes, crying in God's arms is the most sincere act of faith there is.