As a blogger, I prefer to write what’s on my heart. It comes more naturally to me. Often, I sit in the quiet of the mornings and think over the topic I’m about to type. This morning, I already knew the verse I wanted to focus on. It’s Psalms 136:1:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

We began baby shopping this past weekend and to say I sat back in sticker shock is an understatement. Who knew a little could cost so much?

Sometimes, I find many things in life are that way—finances, marriage, singleness, home ownership…Life doesn’t always toe the line we designed. You may still wait on that one special man, or you may set aside pennies hoping to one day purchase a home that seems forever off in the distance.

Believe me, I understand the waiting game.

It’s stressful, sometimes even painful to wait and watch as our dreams shatter. In those quiet moments, in the stillness of our hearts, I often sit back and ponder God. His character doesn’t change, even when our circumstances fall flat (Malachi 3:6).

That truth can come hard to swallow. Why does God allow the hard things to take hold in my life?

I can’t answer for your personal circumstances, but in my life, I often think it’s so I’ll draw close, leaning into His presence alone (James 1:2-4).

I’ve come to learn over the years that in hardship there is often still mercy. It’s the reason I love Psalm 136:1. God’s lovingkindness, His mercy, is never-ending. What a misconception on our part to assume God isn’t still showing grace in our hardships!

See, when I saw the price tags this weekend, I had a day or two of panic. But this morning, I found a pair of slacks I needed to fit for a dress occasion. I opened an envelope to discover money leftover in the budget, and I sat back in awe of God. I literally had to press the pause button on life to see it. I had to sit in the quiet of my house and say, “WOW, God really has taken care of me! Here’s all the blessings He’s placed in my life.”

The thing is, I know this is how I should live, but in the moment sometimes I forget to truly see it.

In my early 20s, I didn’t have a prospect for marriage. I watched my friends marry around me, and I wondered about God’s plan for my life. It was hard, and God answered prayers in His own timing and way.

We can’t always understand the purpose of our hardships. But when life gets difficult, we can identify God’s mercies. Believe me, they’re more abundant than it looks at first glance. Once you’ve found a few, you’ll start seeing them more. As the week marches on, trust God’s sovereignty. He is not immune to your circumstances, and He uses even hardships to display His lovingkindness.