Sometimes You Just Gotta Survive the Day

Sometimes you just gotta survive the day. 

As I was walking this morning, those words kept echoing in my mind.

Yesterday, I was rushing through the checkout line at our local grocery store when the cashier held up a small circular paper and asked if I’d like to donate to suicide prevention. Without thinking, I said no. It feels like someone is always asking for something nowadays, so that’s just become my go-to response.

But then I paused. 

I saw the disappointment on her face as she said, “I’m sorry, I just had to ask.” 

I could tell she’d asked that same question a hundred times before me and would ask it a hundred more after. I looked down at the little paper—shaped like a lifesaver—and said, “Sure, I’ll donate.” I told her to keep asking. That opened the door for her to share about a friend who felt hopeless and ended his life.

As she talked, I thought about my last two weeks. Two of the people I’d counseled had made comments about wanting to end it all. 

My response to both was rooted in the same truth: You can’t see five minutes in front of you, much less five years. You never know what the future holds. 

I can say that with certainty because I’ve been there—at the end of my rope, convinced life would be better without me. I’ve had those days where I wanted to give up, but thankfully, God didn’t let me.

This morning, I was flipping through an old journal, searching for something I’d written years ago. In the process, I found myself reading page after page. 

Years of my life live between those pages. 

Some pages were filled with desperation, but most were filled with hope.

Some I didn’t even remember.

No two days are the same. They never are.

As I read, I was reminded of just how far the Lord has brought me. I could see the fruit of what He was working out all along. I could see why the enemy attacked those moments so hard, why he made the bad days feel like they’d last forever. 

Looking back, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

But when I was walking through it, that light looked dim. 

It felt hopeless.

It’s been said that life is lived forward but understood backward. 

As I look back over my life, I can certainly attest to that.

One of the people I was counseling felt hopeless about being out of work, convinced things would never turn around. 

Can you believe he got a job offer that same day?

I won’t pretend it always moves that fast. Most of the time, our answers take much longer.

The other person I was counseling felt like there was no hope for his future after a failed relationship. Worn out from trying to fix it himself, he finally handed it to God. Sure, he’s tried to take it back a few times, but he’s further along than he’s ever been, learning what real love looks like from his Heavenly Father.

As I try to write this blog, I hear my daughter playing “Because He Lives” in the background, and I have to smile, because I can’t think of a more fitting soundtrack for this message.

The heart of the hymn says it all: 

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

Why?

Because we know who holds the future.

If you find yourself in that desperate place where you can barely keep your head above water, where you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, you’re not alone, and you’re not forgotten.

The same God who carried me, and who continues to carry the people I’ve walked beside, wants to carry you.

You can’t see five minutes ahead, but thankfully, He can.

It’s not over. It’s not too late, and you are not too far out of reach. The Bible reminds us that His mercies are new each day (Lamentations 3:22-23).  

Because He lives, you can face tomorrow. 

But first you have to survive today. 

And if that’s all you have in you right now, then that’s okay. 

Sometimes you just gotta survive the day, because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Need Help?

If today feels heavier than you can carry, don’t go at it alone. Talk to someone—a pastor, a friend, a counselor.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.