Rock bottom? There is hope.

There is hope
We are in the last month and it is during this month that most people reflect and look back, trying to remember how the year has been. It may have been a good year or a bad one, but either way, there's a reason for everything.
The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5: 18, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus". Philosophy says that, if you want to count the challenges that you've experienced, you'll find something to count but if you look for reasons to be thankful you'll find them.
We all have our different coping mechanisms in the face of trouble or pain. No one really is prepared for what's going to happen but the Bible says in  1 Corinthians 10:13 " No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it". So whatever you're going through, our gracious God has already given you the strength to handle it.
I've had a tough year, and one thing that I was never prepared for, was whether the next thing would be another challenge or a breakthrough. Your darkest hour comes before your dawn, remember?
If you had a tough year, you may have lost money, or your job, spouse, good friend, opportunity, failed exams, or just something you wanted but didn't get it. You may have hit rock bottom, but I'll quote a famous animated film "Sing". (There's a character known as buster who wants to continue with his father's dream of starting a theater and loses everything in the process, except the bucket which his father used to source for funds. His friend encourages him with the quote " You know what's great about hitting rock bottom. There's only one way left to go. And that's up." He eventually achieves his father's dream of starting a theater.)
You may not be feeling like you want to be encouraged right now, but a time will come and you'll understand. So hold on, be patient and wait for God's time.
In the face of challenges, it's easy to want to give up, but it's easier to fail several times than keep regretting saying. Saying that you wish you pushed on, that maybe if you tried again, you would succeed. That maybe that would be your time of reckoning.
So keep pushing, keep trying. Because when you hit rock bottom, the only way left to go is up.
The message this year was Mathew 6:25-34;

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Finally, do not give up, keep pushing and you'll succeed. Find time and read about, Jack Ma, Elon Musk and Nikola Tesla.

In conclusion, have a Merry Christmas and a Graceful New Year.