Finding Light in the Darkness: A Journey of Resilience and Hope

In the depths of our darkest moments, it can feel as though we are engulfed by an endless storm, with no respite in sight. The weight of emotional crises and depression can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling lost and alone. Yet, it is precisely in these moments of despair that we must summon the courage to seek out the flicker of light amidst the darkness.

My latest reflection is inspired by the profound words of Psalm 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” These words resonate deeply, reminding us that even in our most trying times, there is always the promise of a new dawn, a fresh start.

In the sacred scriptures, we find countless stories of resilience and hope in the face of adversity. From the trials of Job to the triumph of David over Goliath, these stories serve as timeless reminders of the power of faith to overcome even the greatest of challenges.

As we journey through the ups and downs of life, it is important to remember that we are never alone. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus assures us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). These words offer solace and comfort, reminding us that we can always turn to Him in our times of need.

Through the act of reflection and prayer, we can find strength and solace amidst the storms of life. Just as the sun rises each morning, casting its warm glow upon the world, so too can we find light in the darkness. With faith as our guide, we can navigate even the most treacherous of waters, knowing that we are held in the loving embrace of a higher power.

So to anyone who finds themselves struggling with emotional turmoil, I offer this message of hope: You are not alone. Even in your darkest moments, there is light to be found. Trust in the promise of a new dawn, and have faith that better days are on the horizon.

May we all find our way through the darkness and into the light, guided by the eternal promise of hope and redemption.

Warm regards,

Leandra.

Prayer: I pray through remembrance of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, our spirit is Resurrected and reborn, all parts of us that our dead, are cleansed , all parts of us wounded are healed, and all the pain will transform to testify the strength we gained to overcome and redeem through the grace of God. Jesus will never leave us, He is for us, His angels protect us, His spirit guides us, we will be filled with His peace, love , joy and miracles. God will transform our lives to exclaim his glory. May His glory be revealed and magnify his abundant favor over our lives always and forever, in the most Holy, beautiful,  powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Unspoken

Unspoken words trapped within walls buried,

how do you judge what you see-

unknowing, unseeking, cold & unfeeling?

In the quiet of all loudness,

have we met before?

have we understood?

what a mind can never fathom, words those unspoken?

If we are to cross paths, ever,

may we smile, may we bless,

may we find rest in not knowing

all that there is beyond the unspoken.

Be kind, my sweet…

Be gentle, be meek.

Sometimes, sometimes, it’s all about this.

– L Rodrigues

The pandemic of loss

I’m hearing of what people are going through and trying to distract myself, wondering when will I meet my family, because it doesn’t seem to get any easier because it’s actually been a very long never-ending phase & honestly everyone’s too exhausted and is waiting for a break, a real pandemic & pain free break, that just seems too far away.

While I’m okay, many I care about aren’t. And while my heart & prayers reach out to them, I’m just a million miles away, can’t make them hurt any lesser, can’t replace their pain with joy, can’t do anything about the vacuum the loss has created in the lives of many.

The thought of losing loved ones is a nightmare, but the fact that so many of us have lost, seems so unfair. I couldn’t be there for my friends or family & I didn’t have the right words, no one prepared us how to handle loss, what are the right words, what do you do when you can’t hug & comfort them. What do you do when you feel their grief, see their strength and just wonder what is going on in their head right now.

We will all have to go through this loss, only a matter of time & we will probably never be ready for the inevitable, I just pray you find comfort, strength, peace & hope to pray for those who have lost, those who we lost & for those that have no one who’d pray for them.

The world is hurting, while we carry on life, pretending nothing has happened or we remain untouched, we can’t be so unbothered with the uncomfortable reality that sometimes life gives us something that we believe we can’t handle or something we aren’t ready to handle and accept, but it rips right through us anyway, like the rough waves of an ocean pulling at you and whilst you’re still reeling from the shock of it, knowing very well how close to the shore you stood for the inevitable wave to come hit you, sometimes you’re so numb to realise how deep you got sucked into that bottomless ocean.

My sweet love, if you’re in this ocean right now, wondering ‘why me?’ , I just hope you someday realise, it would happen to all of us, pain will come and rip us all apart , for different people in different ways, and yet in the end the raw hurt & grief would still be the same, this pure animalistic gut ripped open, heart stabbing pain. And our minds would be a storm of thoughts or silence of denial. The magnitude of pain sometimes we perceive to be different from people to people and sometimes we look at the good ones going through shit and wonder why , they did not deserve it, why would they be going through something incomprehensible. Well, I don’t know, I often try to understand that too. But it seems beyond me how unfair life can be sometimes. But this is life, we don’t really have a say when it comes to stuff we can’t control. We can only hope we have the strength to be upright or even the strength to breakdown and then crawl back up, so people who look at us for strength and hope know, that it’s okay to be weak, broken & shattered, but it’s not okay to give up on your pieces and trying, trying to hold yourself together, trying to resurface post the trauma, trying to exist & breathe and get on.

Either way, with time we learn to be okay with it, we learn to focus on little moments and little joys, while they say you forget, I don’t think we ever do forget , we just bury it deep within & get on with life. The ‘whys, ifs, what…. all keep adding up & the questions without answers sometimes don’t matter anymore. Because we survivors learn to take one day at a time, one step at a time, one breath at a time.

Sometimes when it gets too much, too overwhelming, we shut it out, we keep it at bay & we pretend to be okay in a little bubble we create to thrive & exist.

It’s made me question alot, I wonder how we all are truly doing, how mentally exhausted we are. How drained or blest we feel with being in the same house with people we love, day in amd day out, craving for the people we can’t meet or haven’t seen in a long time, missing out on the good big days of our loved ones, missing out on being there for those in their loss. We have missed to share our joys and sorrows in person, and as digital as this world gets, slowly losing sense of human connection, slowly becoming more monstrous, more inhumane, filled with more pain, how soon before we all shut our humanity, because we can’t take it anymore or would we rather hold on to the little bits of hope, faith & the need to be loved and to love, to be held and to hold, to cherish & to overcome, to dream and to work hard, to push & to hold back, to learn to grieve & be brave, to be there in some way that doesn’t make sense now, but to just be human, even when we don’t understand.

I pray as together we are in these trying times, may someday the better days that I hope would come for us all, we be even more together than today.

To my loved ones who have lost, who have gained, who have won or failed, who are trying to be afloat or remain sane, who put on a brave face , I love you. I pray for you. I hope for you. And I hope to hug you & let you know, you matter, you’ve always mattered. I did not have the right words for you at the right time, I still don’t have them. I don’t know if anything I say would ever make you feel any better or if it even matters. But when I can’t understand how, I shall hold you in my prayers . Take care. Be safe. Stay strong.

Life Update 2020

Hello there my people… I’m sorry I’ve been completely away from here. I hope you’re doing fine. These are some tough times, hang in there, May God help you through this.

I have been working on my art, my work front (professional) and also learning & improving on creating illustrations. This is my new joy lately especially when I have no me-time almost everyday, this is my easy escape to just doodle & draw away without anyone sneaking on my vibe. My creativity doesn’t do well when I’m interrupted or my space is intruded. I prefer having no one around me when I lose myself in my flow process of either deep writing or painting. It’s not happening !

Thanks to the lockdowns. (Being very sarcastic here). But grateful anyway for God’s still wonderful to me.

Please check my latest work on :

Instagram : @lea_artista and @leee.vibes

Trust me, you won’t regret it. God bless you. Take care. I will return to this, when I feel I’m in a better space to dedicate more time to this. Please don’t forget me completely.

Total surrender.

If you recall some of Jesus’s last words on the cross,
1. “My God, my God , why have you forsaken me?”
Mathew 27:46 & Mark 15:34

2. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

3.”Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Luke 23:46

4.”I am thirsty.” John 19:28

5.”It is finished.” John John 19:30

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Let’s reflect on the above scriptures.

1. Jesus knowing that the crucifixion was the last part of the journey in the plan of salvation, felt betrayed? Felt alone? Even when He is God (the Mystery of the Holy Trinity). Understand this, we will have our moments of weaknesses, even when we know God is with us, this journey is pre-planned. We will hit rock bottom sometimes, but it’s not the end, the pain could be excruciating & overwhelming. Don’t lose your faith.

2. He forgave everyone who betrayed him, who forsook him, who planned he’s execution. He forgave us even when we weren’t born, our sins against our Lord. He interceded for us in he’s last, such was/is his love for us.

3. The best lesson – total absolute surrender. The Lord of all surrendered to His Lordship- His Father, the Almighty.

4. Thirst for the life after – for the joining in celebration in Heaven, re-uniting with the Father.

5. Victory in the most tragic moment. He fulfilled the plan.

Stay close to the Lord. He makes all things beautiful.
You, life & your journey.

Praise Him in the storm.

Even when you feel He isn’t worthy, because sweet lil one, in your bitterness you can’t un-see how worthy he has indeed made you to have received all the blessings he’s already given you.

My Dearest you who are hurting, breaking & dying,

I know this might not really reach you. But with all my heart I pray God’s will for you, he’s mercy in your suffering, he’s comfort in your pain, he’s love in your darkness, he’s presence when you feel broken.

May He overpower all that you feel, all that you go through, all that you stand in agony of.

May He help you understand that life cannot be measured by the years you have lived or by the time you’ve been given to be prepared for the worst.

We all are mortals, death being the beautiful rebirth into meeting are higher selves (our souls – something un-perishable- a part of Him ) .

In your fear, Call out to him, welcome Him, Talk to Him. Because He not only listens, he’s present beside you, within you and he has he’s angels around you.

You are beautifully & wonderfully made. You are chosen. You belong to HIM. You are precious to HIM. He is worthy of our love even when we feel he’s not befriending us, He is always worthy of all Praises.
Hosannah in the highest.

I pray for you to have healing & peace & joy that penetrates through your pain and leaves you wanting Him more. Thirst only for Him, he redeems us.

Measure your life by the faith you have in him, by the blinded trust of having his hand at work in your life. Measure it by the blessings he’s endowed you with. Measure it with all the suffering & pain he’s let you endure, measure it with the strength he’s blessed you with. Measure it with praise in your heart even in the storms of your life.

Bless you.

Love,
Lea.

The climb is your breakthrough.

For David, Goliath was never a threat but an opportunity, to trust God, believe in himself & use the sling (that does not even guarantee victory) to triumph over him. Yet He believed he could do it, when all had failed.

What makes you think, your mountains & list of not going right, is a plan to fail you in life?
You need your head clear, belief high, faith strong and only then you can see victory even with not having the right ammunition for your battles.
First calm the inner storms, then face life.

For whatever it’s worth, don’t give in, never give up. You are privileged to face threats, for they are hidden opportunities. I pray you see how lucky you are when you face an opportunity to transform the petty to something pretty mindblowing.
Live a life of fulfillment, even when you lack it.
Revel in small things, enjoy the lil victories, look only for the good in the bad.

Nothing can make you more of you, but your situations, whether pleasing or not. And trust me, you are not, what you were yesterday, you shall not remain the same tomorrow, for today you’re just meant to be here, in your now. Don’t get crippled with a notion of who you are in a moment. Change is the key to better things, better life. And what’s more? When God is beside you, how can you ever fail?
Happy evolving!

P.s. because It’s been too long, I’ve not written a meaningful long caption. Just felt like it today.
Stay blest.

#mentalhealth #metaphysics #God #spiritualawakening
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Thanks for liking my words.
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So vibe with me …
IG : @leee.vibes

There’s no stranger danger.

You don’t have to befriend every human in existence.
If you don’t vibe, YOU DONT VIBE.
DON’T FORCE YOURSELF.

Sometimes being strangers or mere acquaintances is good for the both of you. This way life is more civil, less toxic, more of blessings, less of hate, negligible drama.

It is only when you feel forced to vibe with people who too feel the same, you’ll know there is this strange barrier in your head of non acceptance, somehow your brain will try looking for flaws & specks in the other to strengthen the thought of hate or dislike into something more dangerous.
Stop. You are trespassing the negative territory. Parents should understand this, when a child is uncomfortable with your friends kids , do not force them to befriend each other, they will grow up having this animosity inside them , learning the art of pretence for your sake.

Sometime back, no matter how good friends we are now, I faced a confession, that stuck in my mind. She said she hated me back then as I was the unwanted intruder. I got the vibes back then but what I didn’t know it was that she actually felt the whole why are you forcing to befriend her thing until now. I understand how your brain is made to adapt and adjust and how the negativity simply becomes an acceptable habbit of indifference. Now, we are simply acquaintances. And I like that. There’s nothing toxic. We respect each other, we talk and smile without a trace of ‘we haven’t spoken in ages’, it’s normal & good.
When things can be so normal, why pretend to feel indifferent when you actually force yourself to accept & gel along.
The problem with me is, I’m at this phase where I’m so calm, collected and thinking all those childhood stages, phases and understanding what was right, and what was wrong & why it was wrong.
So when time comes for me to mother my kittens, I know not to bound them to unhealthy norms of a perfectly acceptable lifestyle.

From the ruins, I found new life.

I’m not a writer by chance but by the events of my life & by choice to creatively use the energies smothering me.

Yes, I was headfast & too driven to simply achieve greatness, and I still want that. But I needed to stop & understand that I was after futile things.

What good is your education after you die?
What good are the grades ? What good do they do if they suffocate you in your worklife? What good does it do to focus so much on a temporary life? To live like immortals despite losing lives around us?
What good does it do to party every day & live like it’s your last? You are focusing on your last so much, aren’t you attracting death?
But isn’t life to end in death alone?
If I lose my soul & gain the world, what have I even gained? Nothing lasting, everything immaterial, perishable.

I’m not saying I’m not proud of the goal-achiever I was/am. I’m saying my mind as a child was too focused on material things. Now, my hunger is everything that holds energy, that lasts.
I focus on God, love, kindness, grace, gratitude, visions, energy, the vibes. Because this is real. Energy lives on whether I live or not. Transforming it into art or words or simply gestures and acts of simplifying the complicated life.

I crave a connection that is deeper, sensible & awakening, I won’t settle but something that’s only the surface. You won’t understand a thing of what I said, only because you have no idea of what revolution does energy do to your existence. I’m still learning how to transform the negativity into positivity, that into possibilities & those into the life of gravity & attraction of everything beautiful, divine & lasting.

If you are a faithful person like me, you’ll be a God-lover & Know that there is no energy that is as supremely & divinely enchanting & infinite & mystical.
Do not fear what/who can be loved.
Stick to your virtues, there’s magic in these beautiful things. For hope, love , faith shall always remain.

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Thanks for liking my words.
#leeevibes #goodvibes #instadaily #writersofinstagram #higherperspectives #instagood #instamood #writing #instawriters #awakening #writer #writerscommunity #highervibrations #wordporn

Don’t be a victim of cruelty.

Remember, you give away yourself when you only have the desire to indulge bashful deeds of prejudice.
For years, I wondered why I couldn’t fit in with some people, why I never felt a part, no matter what I did?

Why? Because one or two of them always had hurtful things to say, be it body shaming or something else, & never once did anyone stood up to them for me. Because all around they laughed, as I pretended it didn’t hurt all that much, but it did, more because those others found it funny.
Today I have all the clarity I need in life, when it comes to a tribe I can be with & includes none of you. .

.

If you read this, you will feel this, you will remember those moments where I felt betrayed for accepting toxic behaviour, betrayed because I expected alil more kindness, deceived even when I tried to help.
And then, I couldn’t help much ? .
.

You will remember that there were moments I went aloof.
And it’s this. I, unknowingly, began protecting what I could of what was not damaged of me yet.
So, I stood up for me & made peace with breaking free from you.
You don’t understand how much damage you do to a person with your words, because you can’t see the cracks & bruises you inflict.

Today, I have my peace and answers to the questions then. And let me tell you, I am finally alright with not having much friends, not trying to force me to fit in when I feel otherwise. I don’t need you, I never did. Not then, not now..
.
.
I have a select few, who even if I meet after ages are still so closely bonded, I have no doubt I’ll be seeing them greying with me in the future.
I have faced many demons. And I have conquered. And I’ve tried to understand, why people are like they are. And day by day I learn something new. That everyone is healing from something or the other in ways they are discovering fit for themselves.
Stay blest.