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I’ll start this column by saying that I believe God has a plan for everything, and no matter what, He’ll be there to pick up our broken pieces when we don’t have the strength to gather them ourselves.

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, as I’m sure many, if not all of you, can relate. Motivation is low; wedding stress has begun to wear me out physically; there are so many things to do and yet I can’t seem to find the willpower to do any of them. It has been a struggle lately.

All of this came to a head on a regular Tuesday night. I will spare you all the details, but my fiancé and I witnessed a tragic accident, and my head has been spinning since. Focus has gone out the window. The scene has replayed in my head too many times to count, and now has filtered into my nightmares. The emotional toll has been a heavy one, and I did what I tend to do: isolate myself to try and protect myself from more pain, more reminders of the tragedies and the cruelty that our world faces regularly.

It’s times like these that it is extremely hard for me to set my sights above. To still take time to thank God for all he has done, while asking for help. But because God is so good, He knows when we need a bit of a push, or a helping hand. I am so grateful to God, because I have an amazing support system that knows how to turn things around for me.

My “Gypsy sisters” have reminded me that they have my back, and how strong I am. My mom has taken all of my phone calls at the earliest of hours, just so I could vent. One of my best friends sent me a message out of the blue, asking how I was doing. Our catch-up call did wonders. When I felt like I had nothing to give, God still gave, through these messages and phone calls and the sheer selfless care of so many.

This is a gentle reminder to check in on the ones we love, and to remind them of how wonderful they are. We have friends for a reason, don’t we? We shouldn’t be afraid to reach out every once in a while, and see how they’re doing. I don’t know what I would do without my friends and my family. Especially at times like this, when I know I can’t do it alone.

In addition, I’ve found it easy to get caught up in all of the “hoop-la” that comes along with planning a wedding. The hours of planning, the exuberant amount of decisions that need to be made, and all of the money going into a wedding is enough to drive any bride bonkers. It’s enough to make us forget the reason behind having a wedding in the first place! I now realize that reminding each other of why we’re getting married is crucial. Taking some quiet time to just “be” with one another before the big day is important! I’m very happy I have people in my life who have reminded me of this.

And lastly, through all of this, I have noticed something trying to break my spirit. You may notice it in your own lives, when good things are just around the corner, something happens to try and get you down. I believe wholeheartedly that this is a sign that we are doing God’s work. If you find yourself in a bit of a rut, look around and see whose life you may have just changed, or how your work made an impact on someone, or what upcoming event you have planned and are looking forward to. Is the enemy trying to stop us from something life-changing, something God has had planned for us? Perhaps.

Don’t give up. Keep fighting! I’m out here rooting for you. And don’t forget that God’s got you, always.

Danielle Puleo is a staff writer for The Coastland Times. Reach her at danielle.puleo@thecoastlandtimes.com.

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