The Candid Christian

When Birthdays Trigger Reflection and Questions

This morning, I was really low.

My birthday is on Wednesday, and I turn 33. Birthdays have a way of forcing reflection—sometimes gentle, sometimes brutal. As I sat with my thoughts, I realized I wasn’t where I thought I would be by now.

There are prayers I’ve been trusting God for.

Promises I’ve held onto for years.

Dreams I believed would have taken clearer shape by now.

Yet, the full manifestation hasn’t arrived.

And in that quiet space between faith and fulfillment, discouragement crept in.

Building Spiritual Stamina Through the Year

One thing I’m deeply grateful for is this: the Holy Spirit has helped me build stamina.

Not the kind that pretends everything is fine.

Not toxic positivity.

But the stamina to stay.

Even when things aren’t going well, I’ve learned not to leave God.

I stay in:

• Prayer
• The Word
• Sermons and devotionals
• Faith-based newsletters
• Honest conversations with trusted people

Today, those people were my husband, Uche, and my best friend, Blessing.

God’s Encouragement Through Scripture and Community

Uche reminded me of Jeremiah 33:3:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Blessing reminded me of something just as important:

That remaining in God is itself a great achievement.

The Holy Spirit also brought up a moment from a few days earlier. I had been meditating on Mary—how excited she was to carry Jesus. In my heart, I realized I had begun associating that kind of joy with money and material breakthrough. In that moment, the Lord gently corrected me, and I repented for valuing financial outcomes above spiritual alignment.

It was a needed realignment.

When God Speaks Through Unexpected Channels

God didn’t stop there.

He encouraged me again—this time through newsletters and messages I hadn’t gone searching for. From The Passion Translation, I read a simple but powerful message:

“Don’t give up.”

Not as a cliché.

Not as motivation.

But as a whisper from God.

Later, I watched a short message from Steven Furtick titled “You Will Make It Through This.” And it felt like God saying:

I see you. This is not the end.

One line stood out deeply:

Despair tries to sound permanent—but it isn’t.

Faith, Delay, and the Hidden Work of God

One of the hardest lessons of faith is learning that delay does not mean denial.

Just like labor comes before birth, there is often pain before promise, waiting before fulfillment, and silence before clarity.

God is still working—sometimes quietly, sometimes slowly—but always faithfully.

Today, I didn’t receive all the answers.

I didn’t experience a sudden breakthrough.

But I received strength to keep going.

And sometimes, that’s what grace looks like.

A Word for Anyone Feeling Behind in Life

If you’re reading this and you feel behind…

If another birthday, milestone, or season is making you question God…

If you’re tired of trusting without seeing…

Please hear this:

Don’t give up.

Stay with Him.

Stay close.

Stay honest.

Stay surrendered.

He is with you.

He will not leave you.

And by His grace, you will make it through this.

A Prayer of Gratitude

Thank You, Lord.

You see me.

I love You. ❤️