Tricia and I connected 3 years ago at a writers’ conference in North Carolina, though we quickly discovered we lived just a few miles apart in Ohio. This was just a few weeks before her husband passed. I knew then and know now how divine our meeting was. We are friends, writers, moms, and overcomers through the love of Christ. Tricia shares her sweet words of encouragement and a moment with sticky notes here.
For months after losing Ben, I struggled with the voices in my head. Voices telling me that I wasn’t good enough, strong enough, or mom enough to face life alone. I succumbed to self-pity and countless hours recounting to myself the things I had done wrong, or the decisions I had failed to properly make. I wasn’t sure I would ever trust myself or my abilities again.
You see, I’ve always been a words of affirmation person, and my affirmer had left me all alone… in a world that judged harshly and had expectations of me that I felt I just could not meet. I gave into those voices in moments of weakness or loneliness… which was most of the time after losing Ben.
Visits from friends cheered me up and gave me hope for a few weeks, but then I would fall prey to that same struggle again.
I can remember vividly a visit from a friend a few months after Ben died, that ended completely differently. You see, after my friend left, I found sticky notes of encouragement all over my house. They were on my nightstand, in my cupboards, in my planner, on my television, my bathroom mirror and even on my shower door. Those sticky notes held affirmations for me: “You can do this,” “Put one foot in front of the other,” “You are stronger than you think,” and “You are loved.” They reminded me in moments of loneliness at the end of the day, that even if I felt alone, I never truly was!
I’d like to think that those strategically placed sticky notes were exactly what the Lord would have written and left for me if He was in the habit of leaving tangible little blue 3×3 notes. They brightened my every morning, night, and the moments in between, right when I needed them and gave me the strength to keep moving when I didn’t think I could go on.
The scripture is like that… tiny little sticky notes of hope from our Father.
Reminders that we are not alone, and that He is with us… even though we might not be able to see it all the time. And sometimes, when we aren’t taking the time to listen, He sends us His comfort through words from a friend. I don’t think my friend knew when he left those notes, how much they would impact me, and how much strength they would give me. But God knew, and He sent that person into my life because He knew I needed to hear affirmations from Him in an audible voice right then.
“But God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!” Psalm 66:19-20
Tricia lost her husband of 11 years to brain cancer a few years ago. She and her kids recently relocated to the DFW area where she is working as an educator and is enjoying a season of just being mom after a couple of years of homeschooling! She is excited about the future and how God will be growing her family. She continues to enjoy sharing her struggles, blessings, and all that God is teaching her. And she is continuing to learn that choosing joy in every moment not only blesses her life, but the lives of those around her! Even though sometimes she would rather hide in the closet with a frozen Reese’s or a bowl of ice cream. She blogs about all the Lord is teaching her through grief, loss, and choosing joy at www.choosingjoyineverymoment.com and you can also follow her on Facebook or on Instagram at Choosing Joy in Every Moment.
