Stop Pretending You’re Okay

I used to think strength meant smiling through pain. Keep it together. Don’t cry. Don’t cause a scene. But when you live that way long enough, you start to disappear inside your own silence.

When Jesus calmed the storm, He didn’t tell the disciples to “act like it’s fine.” He acknowledged the chaos and spoke straight to it. Real peace starts with real honesty.

There were nights I whispered to God through tears, “This hurts more than I can handle.” I didn’t know it then, but that prayer was holy ground. It wasn’t weakness,

it was worship.

You can’t heal from what you won’t name. You can’t surrender what you keep pretending doesn’t exist. God doesn’t bless masks; He blesses honesty.

Today, tell the truth, not the filtered version.

Let your soul exhale.

Reflection:
Where have you been pretending you’re okay? What would it look like to stop pretending today?