This is Stumpy, a three-legged turtle who, at some point, made his home in our backyard. He’s a beast. Every few days, he emerges from some mysterious place, wanders around the trees, drags through patches of grass and dirt and disappears again into the wilderness. My husband even mowed over him once (there’s a scar on his shell to prove it!), and yet he continued on his journey, unintimidated and determined as ever. When we don’t see him for awhile, my youngest will cry, “I think Stumpy died,” and someone in the family will assure him, “That turtle’s gonna live forever!” Stumpy is my symbol of resilience. He has clearly been through his share of struggles, but he never gives up. Do you have someone who reminds you to keep hanging on through the toughest things? Maybe it’s a neighbor who’s lived through a tragedy, but refuses to let it define them. Maybe it’s an Olympian underdog or someone who served in the military or a grandparent who struggled to survive in hard times or someone on Youtube who defied the odds and made it through something unimaginable. It’s good to have pictures of what it’s like to hold on, no matter what. In this broken world of ours, we encounter challenges and times of suffering we were never made for. But God is always up to something within us as we wrestle. As we hold on tight in faith, trusting and believing beyond what we can see or feel, we are given the strength to make it another step, and then another. We may hear the voice of the enemy whispering all the lies: You're all alone in this. You don't have what it takes. You'll never make it through. But we have this truth: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Say it over and over again. Shout it to the world! Let it take root in your heart. Trust that God is growing resilience within you, and it's exactly what you will need as you walk this difficult-but-beautiful journey we call Life. Whenever you can, surround yourself with encouragement. Preach to yourself. Remember that you will make it through, one day at a time.