He Was Near All Along

I grew up believing in God, but for a long time I wasn’t sure He really saw me. During a season of anxiety and loneliness, my faith felt thin and mechanical. I began reading Scripture each morning, not because I felt strong, but because I didn’t know where else to turn. One night I prayed honestly, asking God to make Himself real to me in a way I could understand. In the days that followed, a verse I had read came back to me through a conversation, an unexpected encouragement arrived at just the right moment, and a door opened that I had assumed was permanently closed. I couldn’t explain it away—it felt like God gently saying, “I’m here.”

That season didn’t instantly fix everything, but it changed me. I learned that God often works quietly, weaving His care into ordinary moments rather than dramatic ones. My circumstances didn’t immediately improve, but my confidence in His faithfulness did. Looking back, I see that God was strengthening my trust, teaching me to rest in who He is rather than how I felt. What He did in that time became a steady reminder to me that He is near, attentive, and faithful to complete the work He begins.