There are seasons in life when change stretches your heart like a rubber band—pulling, releasing, tightening again—and you’re left learning how to live between the letting go and the holding on.
I’m in that season right now.
My daughter just graduated from Grand Canyon University, twelve hours away from home, with a degree in multimedia journalism. Soon, she’ll be moving to a new city in Arizona to begin her first job as a multimedia reporter. She’ll be living independently for the first time, stepping into a brand-new place where she doesn’t know anyone. Her role will require her to find stories, interview strangers, gather facts, write quickly, and broadcast it all live—sometimes in minutes. It’s exhilarating… and overwhelming.
At one point, she almost turned the job down. It felt like too much, too fast, too scary.
And I understood her hesitation more than anyone.
Because I once held the same dream she now holds. I wanted to be a journalist too, but I allowed fear to whisper louder than faith. I worried about the pressures, the expectations, the uncertainties. I commuted to college, finished my degree, but skipped my own graduation ceremony. I missed my junior and senior proms. I told myself those celebrations didn’t matter—but deep down, part of me knows I was afraid to fully step into the moments that marked new beginnings.
Now, as I watch my children cross milestones and celebrate victories, part of me aches for what I once let pass by. Life moves so quickly—sometimes faster than our hearts can catch up—and I don’t want to miss a single moment anymore. I don’t want fear to steal anything else.
That’s why I looked my daughter in the eyes and said:
“Don’t do what I did. Don’t let fear decide your story.”
While she prepares to move and begin her career this summer, my son will also be preparing to start his college journey. And at home, our two younger daughters will enter their first and fourth years of high school.
Our house feels like a revolving door these days—kids coming home, kids leaving again, seasons shifting before I can even catch my breath. Goodbyes and hellos, beginnings and endings, all braided together into one bittersweet, beautiful story.
At my daughter’s graduation ceremony, the keynote speaker said something that stayed with me:
“Don’t let your fear of the future or your longing for the past cause you to miss the joy of the present.”
Those words landed right where they were needed most.
Because even now, in the stretch of goodbyes and new hellos, I’m learning that taking heart doesn’t mean pretending it’s easy.
It means being fully present.
It means trusting that God holds our children’s futures just as securely as He holds ours.
It means believing that strength isn’t about holding on tighter but about opening our hands wider to His grace.
If you’re also in a season of change—if your heart feels pulled between the joy and pride of seeing your children soar and the sadness of letting go, excitement for their future and fear of the unknown—you’re not alone.
Let’s walk together into the heart of what it really means to take heart and find our strength in God.
Life’s changes, whether joyful or painful, remind us that we aren’t called to face them alone or in our own strength. In every goodbye and every new beginning, God whispers the same invitation: “Take heart and be strong. Hope in Me.”
When You’re Out of Strength, You’re Not Out of Hope
What It Means to Take Heart—And Why It Leads to Strength in God Share on XHave you ever had a moment when your heart couldn’t take any more?
When the weight of grief, stress, or worry left you feeling completely drained—emotionally, mentally, even spiritually?
In those moments, a phrase like “take heart” might sound nice, but also… impossible.
We often think taking heart means “pulling it together,” putting on a brave face, or pretending things aren’t as hard as they feel. But that’s not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take heart.”
And it’s certainly not what God asks of us when He tells us to be strong.
Taking heart isn’t about mustering strength at all.
It’s about receiving it.
✝️ Jesus Says It When We Need It Most
One of the most tender moments in Scripture is when Jesus looks at a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, isolated and unseen, and calls her “Daughter.”
“Take heart, daughter. Your faith has healed you.” — Matthew 9:22
He didn’t just heal her physically.
He affirmed her identity.
He restored her dignity.
He gave her back her place in the community and in the arms of God’s love.
Later, knowing His disciples would soon face heartbreak and fear, Jesus says:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33
Jesus never promises life without trouble.
He promises His victory over it.
Taking heart isn’t denial of difficulty—it’s defiant hope in the face of it.
Be Strong and Take Heart—Not in Yourself, But in Him
Psalm 31:24 says:
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
And Psalm 27:14 reminds us:
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
God isn’t calling us to create strength from within ourselves.
He is calling us to anchor our hearts in His strength.
Real strength doesn’t come from trying harder.
It comes from trusting deeper.
From waiting, hoping, leaning, believing—even when we can’t see how it’s all going to turn out.
Taking heart is both an act of courage and an act of surrender.
What Does It Really Mean to Take Heart?
To take heart is to:
- Believe God’s promises even when your circumstances shake.
- Trust that He is working, even when you cannot see it.
- Find courage in His Word when fear tries to drown you.
It’s not about ignoring the hard parts.
It’s about holding onto the truth that the God who parted seas, healed broken bodies, and conquered the grave is still the same God holding you today.
Want to Walk Through This More Deeply?
I created the Take Heart Guided Prayer Journal for those very seasons when we need to steady our souls in Scripture and remind our hearts where real strength is found.
Inside you’ll find:
- 30 “Take Heart” phrases based on Scripture
- A matching Bible verse for each day
- Reflection questions to go deeper
- Affirmations to speak life over your heart
- Prayer and gratitude prompts
- Pages to write your prayers
This journal isn’t about checking off another devotional—it’s about slowing down, breathing deep, and learning to hear God’s whisper again:
“Take heart. I am with you.”
Download Your Journal Now
Click here to get the Take Heart Guided Prayer Journal
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Final Word of Encouragement
You don’t have to know every step ahead.
You don’t have to have a perfect plan.
You just have to take the next step with Jesus.
Take heart, friend.
Be strong—not in yourself, but in the One who has already overcome.
And let today be a day you fully trust His love to carry you forward.
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Hello there! I'm Valerie, a mom of four and wife of 27 years. My writing inspires others to cultivate courageous faith and find solace in trusting God, especially in moments of fear and uncertainty. Join me on this adventure as we explore the beauty of trusting God when we are afraid. 
