We all walk through valleys. Illness. Loss. Disappointment. Sometimes the weight feels unbearable, and the path forward disappears in the fog of sorrow. If you’ve ever asked, “How do I keep moving when everything feels broken?”—you are not alone.
The truth is, life will hand us pain we didn’t ask for. But in those moments, you still have a choice: to surrender to despair or to seek out the hidden resources already within you.
Facing the Challenge without Falling Apart
One of the hardest lessons I ever learned came the day doctors told me I only had about a 10% chance of ever walking again. I couldn’t change the diagnosis. But I could decide how to respond to the prognosis.
That choice didn’t erase the pain—but it reframed it. I discovered that when you refuse to let sorrow write the ending too soon, you open the door for resilience, for healing, and for hope.
Ask yourself: Where in my life am I letting sorrow declare the ending before the story is finished?
What do you do on the worst day of your life?
- Allow yourself to grieve.
- Resist the urge to panic over tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
- Remember all the blessings you have in life. Don’t focus on the negative.
- Remember what Jesus said; that through faith, belief and action all things are possible.
- Remember that every event in our life is an opportunity to learn and grow. It isn’t what happens in life, it’s how we respond to it.
- Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck. From a long-range perspective, something positive may result from the experience.
- What other people think isn't important; what is important is how you feel about yourself.
- Keep on giving. Rather than think of yourself, reach out to the needs of others.
- Join a support group.
- Quiet yourself or go into meditation and ask Holy Spirt for the answer. Develop a plan based upon the answers you receive.
Begin with Small Steps
When everything feels overwhelming, don’t focus on fixing the whole mountain. Focus on the next step. Three truths guided me through my darkest hours:
- Do what’s doable whenever you can.
- Work on your areas of strength first.
- Believe.
These aren’t just recovery principles—they’re life principles. Maybe today your “doable” step is making one phone call, taking a walk, or choosing gratitude for one small thing. Each step matters.
Strengthening the Inner Life
Healing isn’t just physical—it begins in the heart and mind. Scripture reminds us: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
In my own valley, I learned to pray, visualize, and speak as if the healing I longed for had already begun. Gratitude—even for the smallest blessings—shifted my focus from what I had lost to what remained. In other words, be thankful for every moment because that’s all any of us have.
This isn’t only about miraculous recovery. For you, it may mean finding peace in grief, courage in uncertainty, or clarity when the way forward is unclear. When you strengthen the inner life, you create conditions for outer change.
Choosing Love Over Fear
Fear is loud in seasons of sorrow. It whispers, “You can’t. You’re finished. There’s no hope.” But fear loses its power when you answer it with love.
Forgiveness—of others, of circumstances, even of yourself—is one of the most powerful acts of love. As A Course in Miracles teaches, “Who forgives, is healed.”
What fear or resentment are you still carrying? Could today be the day you begin to lay it down?
You Don’t Walk Alone
None of us were meant to navigate the valley by ourselves. I had doctors, therapists, family, and friends who carried me when I could not carry myself. Most people who survive hardship can point to at least one healing relationship that made the difference.
Who can you lean on right now? And just as importantly, who might need you to walk beside them?
Trust the Promise
Even when strength seems gone, there is a promise worth holding onto:
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
Rest is not failure—it is preparation. Trust that renewal will come, and that your valley is not your final destination.
One Step at a Time—For You
This journey through sorrow is not about pretending it doesn’t hurt. It’s about discovering that even in the darkest places, you still have choices:
- To face sorrow with courage.
- To take the step that is within your power.
- To strengthen your inner life.
- To choose love over fear.
- To seek help and companionship.
- To trust in renewal.
Life’s valleys are real. But so is the strength to walk through them—one step at a time.
If this spoke to you, my memoir One Step at a Time: Memoir of a Former Quadriplegic offers a deeper walk through the lessons I lived and the truths that carried me. It isn’t just my story—it’s a guidebook for anyone navigating their own valley, written to give you the hope and practical tools to keep moving forward.
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