Recently, the stress in my life has seemed to be never ending. You know the saying, “When it rains, it pours”? It felt as though the stressors were “pouring” into my life and I was beginning to drown. While driving one day, I thought, “What am I going to do? I can’t take this anymore.” Then, with perfect timing, the song “Stronger” came on the radio. It was as if God himself had reached a hand down to pull me out of the “water” that was flooding in. The truth in the following lyrics hit me so hard, that a smile cracked my face and tears pooled at the corners of my eyes – “When the waves are taking you under, Hold on just a little bit longer; He knows that this is going to make you stronger, stronger; The pain ain’t gonna last forever, And things can only get better”. In our journey with Christ, we will still experience pain and hardships; but the hope is in knowing that we are not walking it alone and that He ultimately has a plan to make us stronger on the other side. God loves ya! – Ashley Plaugher

devo 8-15