When Skies Are Grey: Finding Your Way Forward

by Rev. Sheri Spiritual teacher, writer, and founder of Angel Messenger

 

There are seasons when life feels bright and full of possibility.

And then there are seasons when the skies seem to stay grey.

Maybe something happened that you never expected.

Maybe you’re grieving.

Maybe a relationship has changed.

Maybe you’re worried about money, your family, your health, or your future.

Or perhaps nothing dramatic happened at all. You’re simply tired, overwhelmed, and wondering when you’re going to feel like yourself again.

When we find ourselves in these places, there can be enormous pressure to “stay positive.”

Look for the lesson.

Be grateful.

Raise your vibration.

Trust the process.

Sometimes those things can help.

And sometimes what we really need is permission to admit:

This is hard.

There is nothing spiritually wrong with acknowledging that the skies are grey.

You Don’t Have to Make the Sun Come Out

When someone we love is hurting, we naturally want to make things better.

We often do the same thing to ourselves.

We search for answers. We try to change our perspective. We pray harder. We look for signs. We wonder what we’re supposed to learn.

But not every difficult season can be immediately transformed into something beautiful.

Sometimes the first task is simply getting through the rain.

That doesn’t mean giving up.

It means meeting yourself where you actually are instead of demanding that you already be somewhere else.

You can have faith and still be afraid.

You can believe in the Divine and still have questions.

You can be grateful for parts of your life while grieving others.

You can know that things may eventually improve and still admit that today is difficult.

Two things can be true at the same time.

Start With What Is True

Positive change rarely begins with pretending.

It begins with honesty.

Ask yourself:

What am I actually feeling?

Not what you think you should feel.

Not what other people expect you to feel.

What is really there?

Anger?

Fear?

Loneliness?

Disappointment?

Grief?

Exhaustion?

Confusion?

Relief?

Maybe several things at once.

Naming an emotion doesn’t give it power over you. Sometimes naming it is what finally allows you to understand what you need.

Your anger may be telling you that a boundary has been crossed.

Your exhaustion may be telling you that you have been carrying too much.

Your sadness may simply need to be grieved.

Your fear may be asking you to seek information, reassurance, or support.

Our emotions aren’t spiritual failures.

They are part of being human.

Listen to what they’re telling you.

Ask What Is Within Your Control

One of the hardest things about painful situations is recognizing how much we cannot control.

We cannot control another person’s choices.

We cannot rewrite something that already happened.

We cannot guarantee an outcome.

We cannot force someone to understand us, apologize, change, or love us in the way we need.

We cannot always make a difficult situation disappear.

But there are usually some things we can control.

We can decide where we place our attention.

We can choose whether a boundary needs to be set.

We can ask for help.

We can gather information.

We can decide how we respond.

We can take care of ourselves.

We can make a plan.

We can take one small step.

When everything feels overwhelming, don’t ask yourself to solve your entire life.

Ask:

What is one thing I can do today?

Sometimes that is enough.

Don’t Turn Every Pain Into a Spiritual Lesson

I believe we can learn through our experiences.

I believe the Divine can help us create something meaningful even from incredibly painful circumstances.

But I don’t believe we have to explain every painful thing by saying it happened because we needed to learn something.

Sometimes people hurt us because they made harmful choices.

Sometimes bodies become sick.

Sometimes relationships end.

Sometimes plans fall apart.

Sometimes unfair things happen.

Finding meaning after something painful is very different from believing you were required to suffer in order to become who you are.

You are allowed to heal without being grateful that something hurt you.

Maybe one day you’ll look back and recognize wisdom you gained along the way.

That’s beautiful when it happens.

But you don’t have to force the lesson while you’re still standing in the rain.

Give Yourself Permission to Need Help

We were never meant to carry everything alone.

There are times when prayer and spiritual practice bring tremendous comfort.

There are also times when we need another human being.

Talk to someone you trust.

Ask your family for help.

Call a friend.

Speak with a counselor or another qualified professional when you need that kind of support.

Seek practical resources if your difficulty involves finances, housing, food, safety, health, or another immediate need.

Spiritual support and practical support do not compete with each other.

Sometimes the answer to a prayer comes through another person’s hands.

Receiving help doesn’t make you weak.

Sometimes receiving is its own act of courage.

Make One Small Change

When you’re overwhelmed, the idea of “changing your life” can feel impossible.

So don’t start there.

Change one thing.

Drink a glass of water.

Open the curtains.

Answer the email you’ve been avoiding.

Make the appointment.

Clean one corner of the room.

Step outside.

Say no to something you truly cannot carry.

Ask someone for help.

Spend ten quiet minutes in prayer.

Write down what you need.

Research one option.

Do one thing that reminds you of who you are.

Small changes may not look dramatic, but they can create movement.

And movement matters.

You don’t need to see the entire road.

You only need enough light for the next step.

Let Yourself Notice What Is Still Beautiful

There is a difference between gratitude and denial.

Gratitude doesn’t require you to pretend that something painful isn’t happening.

It simply allows you to notice that pain is not the only thing happening.

There can still be beauty.

A warm cup of coffee or tea.

Your pet curled beside you.

A song you love.

Someone checking on you.

A sunset.

A child’s laughter.

A prayer.

A good meal.

A flower growing where you didn’t expect it.

A moment when you realize you laughed without trying.

These moments don’t erase the difficult ones.

They sit beside them.

Sometimes hope begins there.

Not as a tremendous revelation, but as one tiny reminder that goodness still exists.

Healing Does Not Have a Deadline

Please don’t compare your healing to someone else’s.

One person may recover quickly from something that takes another person years to process.

That doesn’t mean one is stronger or more spiritual than the other.

Healing isn’t a competition.

And it rarely happens in a straight line.

You may have several wonderful days and then suddenly have a difficult one.

That doesn’t mean you’ve gone backward.

It means you’re human.

Be patient with yourself.

You are allowed to heal at the pace your heart needs.

Ask the Divine to Walk With You

You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going before you pray.

Sometimes the prayer can simply be:

Divine, I don’t know what comes next.

Please walk with me.

Help me recognize what I can change and find peace with what I cannot change today.

Show me the next step when I am ready to take it.

Send the people, resources, wisdom, and opportunities I need.

Help me recognize hope when it appears.

And when I cannot see the light ahead of me, remind me that darkness does not mean I have been abandoned.

Bless it be. Amen.

The Sun Is Still There

If you’re going through a grey season right now, you don’t have to rush yourself through it.

You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.

You don’t have to find the lesson today.

You don’t have to know exactly how everything will turn out.

Just keep looking for the next step.

Keep accepting the moments of goodness when they appear.

Keep reaching for the people who love you.

Keep talking to the Divine.

Keep choosing yourself.

And remember:

Grey skies are still skies.

The sun hasn’t ceased to exist simply because you cannot see it today.

And neither has hope.

Peace, love, and grace,

Rev. Sheri