When Hope Feels Out of Reach

Let’s get straight to it.

Last week, we talked about what it looks like when confusion clouds your world, and how clarity begins when you stop apologizing for what you see. Today, I want to talk about what comes next: how to take the first small step toward hope when everything still feels uncertain.

Because let’s be honest, hope can feel impossible when you’ve been surviving on empty for a long time. When you’re exhausted, when you’ve tried, talked, prayed, explained, forgiven, and nothing changes. When every day feels like holding your breath, waiting for peace that never comes.

If that’s where you are, I get it. You can’t fake hope. And you don’t have to.

The first step toward hope isn’t forcing yourself to believe everything will be okay. It’s something quieter. It’s deciding, even for a moment, that you still matter. Your body, your emotions, your voice, your sanity - they matter. Hope begins when you stop disappearing inside the pain.

If you're wondering where to begin, here are three small ways to take that first step toward caring for yourself.

1. Pause before reacting. When tension rises, take a single deep breath before you speak. That pause gives you power. It breaks the automatic cycle and gives you room to respond from a place of strength instead of reactivity.

2. Notice what drains you and what steadies you. Write down one thing that exhausts you and one thing that brings even a little calm. Awareness is the first shift. It’s where your courage wakes up and your story turns toward taking your life back.

3. Talk to a safe person. You don’t have to tell everything today, but you do have to stop carrying it alone. Speak one true sentence to someone you trust.

Silence keeps you stuck; truth gets you moving.

That’s it. That’s the beginning. Hope doesn’t arrive as fireworks; it grows slowly, like a fragile shoot pushing through hard soil.

Take a moment now and write this sentence: One thing I can do this week that shows I still matter is…

You don’t need a plan for the whole journey, just the next step. And as you take it, remember, you’re not starting over. You’re starting from everything you’ve learned, endured, and survived. You may feel overwhelmed, but you're not overcome.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 (NIV)

Still Her - The Journey Home