My hubby and I went on an anniversary trip back to our old stomping grounds, and it was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

For those of you who don’t know our story very well, South Dakota was a hard season of life for us.
Military hardship.
Fake friends.
Financial stress.
Church issues.
Anxiety and depression.
And a hurting marriage.

Not exactly fond memories to look back on.

BUT, our summer weekends spent exploring… they were the BEST.
Hiking the Black Hills.
Walking around Sylvan Lake.
Breathing in the breathtaking views of the Badlands.
Eating donuts at Wall Drug. (If you know, you know!)
Drinking Prairie Berry wine.
Seeing Mount Rushmore for the five thousandth time. (Call me crazy, but it never really got old!)

These were the moments where time stood still. Where our harsh reality slipped away, and it was just us and God’s beautiful creation.
These were the moments that kept me going.

So to be back in this place, re-living the good memories again was so incredibly healing. It helped me remember just how much joy and love and laughter we still shared together the three years we lived here. And it created a space for me to talk about the not-so-great stuff without it hurting so much.

What a gift.

If you’re finding yourself in a season of hardship, keep fighting. Our God is a good and faithful God, and He truly does work all things for our good, even when it doesn’t feel good at the time. I promise He’s got your story written out just perfectly, and you will make it out the other side. Just you wait and see.