There was a time I found myself constantly asking, “ Why me?” Why did it seem like things always went wrong for me?

Why did I carry not just my own burdens, but the weight of others too?

I noticed every setback and disappointment, and slowly, self-pity crept in.

I began to believe that I was the problem, that somehow I was destined to struggle.

I rarely paused to consider whether my choices had played a part. I didn’t think about whether there was purpose in the pain.

I just sank deeper into the belief that life was happening to me.

But one day, sitting quietly on a train, the Holy Spirit whispered a truth that changed everything. He said, “It’s not about you. It’s about the work God wants to do within you, for your good, and for His glory.”

In that moment, my perspective shifted. God was not punishing me.

He was preparing me.

The trials I had dreaded were shaping something deeper. They were refining my character and realigning my focus.

Romans 5:4-5 teaches us that suffering produces endurance, endurance builds character, and character gives birth to hope and that hope will never put us to shame, because God pours His love into our hearts through His Spirit.

I began to see that the enemy may have meant harm, but God was using the very same space to build something strong within me. He was forming endurance that would last, character that could carry calling, and hope that would anchor my soul.

So now, when I feel pressure rising or questions returning, I no longer ask, “Why me?” I ask, “Lord, what are You building in me?”

It’s not about me.

It’s about what He is doing through me and because of that, I can rejoice.

The trials we face are not designed to destroy us.

They are designed to refine us, to strip away what is false and strengthen what is true. To build endurance, deepen character, and awaken hope.

What the devil sends to break you, God can use to build you. What was meant to silence you can become your testimony.

Suffering teaches us endurance. Endurance shapes our character. Character unlocks hope.

And hope never puts us to shame.

Because through it all, through the pain and the pressure, God’s love is being poured into us again and again by His Spirit.

With Love,

Amanda.