If You’re Struggling…

Joshua Beck
Sep 4, 2018 · 6 min read

Before we begin, I want you to open this link, and let this song play in the background.

Now that we have a soundtrack…

I want to talk about the times when we feel down. Times you feel like everything is crashing in on us, times we feel like the weight of the world is bearing in and there doesn’t seem to be a way to escape it.

Maybe you’ve got more bills coming in than money. Maybe you’ve lost a job, or are scared that you’re about to. Maybe you’re in the middle of a divorce, or you’ve had a bad fight with a friend or a family member. Maybe you’re struggling with an addiction, or some bad habit you just can’t shake. Whatever it is, you don’t feel like it will get better. Sometimes it is even hard to talk about it with others; you can’t put to words why you feel this way, or you are embarrassed or ashamed of the situation, and you just let it bottle up inside.

It is a sucky feeling. And it can be a draining feeling. You get frustrated, you get pissed off, you get depressed. You start to worry about things that, frankly, you can’t control. Anticipation creeps in, settles inside you, and you can’t focus on anything. It can leave you tired, it can make you want to sleep all day, make you want to waste your hours in front of the TV or with a book, trying to escape, even for a minute, your circumstances.

Listen to that song. It starts off somewhat somber, but as it builds, it becomes something more. Not cheerful, but powerful. Like it is taking charge. It starts off like a funeral march but at the 35 second mark, the key shifts, and it becomes a march of perseverance. That song is from an episode of Doctor Who. The episode isn’t important right now, the plot we won’t bother with, but what the Doctor is doing in this scene is mightily important. In this moment, he’s facing the world crashing around him. He’s just lost his best friend, and he’s facing torture and death, over and over and over again. But he isn’t giving up. He’s persisting, he’s continuing on, he’s moving forward. And though his path seems impossible, he doesn’t stop.

As I listened to this song while doing dishes, it hit me. We all have moments like this. I’ve had them, and I’m sure you have, too. Moments where everything just seems to be too much to handle. Days or weeks or months even where there just seems to be no end to the cataclysms that are pushing against you. Days like the Doctor’s, where it seems impossible to break free and escape.

But I want you to listen to that song again. I want you to remember these things: whatever you are dealing with, whatever you are going through, it isn’t over. It isn’t the end. This, whatever it is, will not defeat you. You will persevere. It may not seem like it, and it may get worse before it gets better, but it will get better.

I want to quote a few other things to you. The first comes from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: “Everything will be alright in the end. If it is not alright, then it is not the end.” Whatever you are struggling with, it is not the end. There will be another day, there will be another sunrise. There will be another possibility, another opportunity, another solution.

The next is from Victoria Schwab’s new book, The City of Ghosts: “‘We have a whole book to write…and how do we write it?’ ‘One page at a time,’ I say automatically. It’s Mom’s favorite saying… Every time I get nervous or scared, I remind myself that every good story needs twists and turns. Every heroine needs an adventure.” Whatever your story is, it is going to have bumps along the way. There’s going to be plot twists, there’s going to be disruptions, but don’t let them stop your story. Your story will continue. As the Doctor said in Doctor Who, “The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” Bad things will happen, but don’t let them spoil the good things. Don’t let a bad circumstance keep you from getting back up.

One more person I’d like to quote. He said, “Here on Earth, you will. Have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.” Yes, that one was Jesus; and that’s perhaps the biggest thing to remember. No matter what you are going through, it isn’t too big for Him. No matter if there are too many bills, if there’s not enough gas in the car, if the paychecks have stopped coming in, if the weight of the world seems to be crashing down on you and crushing you beneath it, remember, you are never alone. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Bring things to Him. Honestly, that’s the step I always forget, myself. I sit and I worry and I lose sleep and I forget to take it to Him. And let me tell you, when I do remember to take it to Him, it is like a weight is lifting off my chest. No, it doesn’t make the bills disappear, or the bank account to increase, but it does provide some clarity and peace of mind. Knowing that, no matter what tomorrow brings, God is there with you to deal with it, to help you through it, suddenly whatever you are facing doesn’t seem so frightening.

I don’t know why I’m writing this, really. I don’t know if it is just for my benefit, a sounding board to reflect thoughts. But really, if this reaches one person, makes one person feel better about their situation, well, maybe I wrote it for them.

We may sit there and think, “I wish none of this had ever happened.” “How could I have gotten myself into this situation.” “How am I ever going to get out of this mess?” I’ll let Gandalf take this one: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” There’s no changing the situation now, whatever it is. There’s no use replaying it in your head and fretting about what should have been done differently. I’ve been in stuck situations before, times where I didn’t see the end of the tunnel, and let me tell you, there’s always been a way. You’ll find it. I promise.

“Just keep swimming.” “Keep moving forward.” “Never give up, never surrender.” Remember God is with you, and keep on fighting. Always keep fighting. And remember there are people in this world for you to. You don’t have to face whatever it is alone. You are never alone. Talk to your family, talk to friends. Talk to a stranger, if you just need someone to listen.

The people at this link are just one of many resources out there for people who need help, who need someone to talk to, who are struggling and feel like they can’t move forward. If you need someone to listen, please, contact someone, anyone.

Whatever it is, you can overcome it. I know you can. We all can. This world, at times, feels like it is going to keep you down, like it won’t get better, but it will. Remember, if it is not alright right now, then it is not the end.

Joshua Beck

Written by

I am just clever enough to get myself in trouble…

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade