To anyone feeling as though they are down and out as if they have reached the end of their rope and see nowhere left to turn; for anyone struggling to get through the day or even get out of bed in the morning, I am here to remind you of a simple truth:

There is still hope.

We all get lost on this complicated journey called life. The darkness starts to close in and we can't figure out which way is up or down or left or right. We refuse to move and venture any farther, because though we are in the dark, we are safe for now if we stay put. But coming to terms with darkness is no way to live. There is a light that can lead us out of the darkness and His name is Jesus Christ.

Now you're probably thinking, "I've heard this all before, yada yada, Jesus loves you" and so on and so forth. But what if I told you I've been in your shoes? What if I told you I struggled with an addiction to alcohol that thrust me into the depths of darkness? What if I told you that I too have been lost? I struggled with excessive drinking for months. I was lonely. I wanted friends. It seemed like my only choice. It only made my situation worse. I would find myself drinking to forget that I had no one to confide in; to forget how desolate I felt. It was no way to live. I thought I'd be able to change if I finally hit rock bottom, but I felt myself falling faster and faster downward with no end in sight.

Most people that know me wouldn't have expected this. I was the good Christian girl in high school. Looking back, I'm not even sure I knew what it meant to be a Christian. I was in a safe environment where I never really had to choose Jesus. He was just automatically a part of my life. I never suffered for His sake. I found out quickly how hard it is to turn from the desires of sin when facing them head on. I think this was in part due to my inability to fully trust in God. I had confused trusting myself with trusting Him. That confusion was my downfall.

So there I was, completely entrenched in darkness, when I finally cried out to God. I had suffered in silence for so long, as I imagine many of you are as well. The only thing stopping Christ from stepping in was my own stubbornness. I was convinced I could save myself, but I never succeeded. God was patiently waiting for me to ask for help. He was there the entire time. He is always there. Once I made the realization that I needed Him, He pulled me in with wide-open arms. The only thing keeping any of us in darkness is our unwillingness to ask for help. I hate to break it to you guys, but we can't live this life on our own. And when we try, it is so impossibly hard. If you are lost, stop accepting darkness as your only option. There is a love so great, so immense, that it soaked up the darkness and overcame it. Stop fighting this battle on your own. Open up your heart and let God fight the darkness for you. It's a battle that He has already won. Leave the darkness and step into the light.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” John 8:12