But How Do I Get Through the Next 86,400 Seconds? - Encouragement for Today - October 2, 2025

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October 2, 2025

But How Do I Get Through the Next 86,400 Seconds?
LYSA TERKEURST

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“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

I want healing to be as neat and predictable as a checklist. I don’t want to be inconvenienced by it, and I most certainly don’t want to be caught off guard by the accompanying emotions.

But if you’ve ever had to heal from having your heart broken, you know you can’t schedule healing, hurry it up, or control how and when it will want to be tended to.

Part of what makes healing so hard is the deep ache that trauma leaves behind. Loss envelops us with an aching grief that comes in unpredictable waves. It’s hard to know if you’re getting better when a string of good days suddenly gives way to an unexpected emotional crash.

You feel angrier than ever over the unfairness. The wounds seem raw, confusing, and unhealed. And you just wish someone would tell you how you’re supposed to make it through all 86,400 seconds of this day amid so much pain.

I understand all of these feelings. I know how incredibly difficult it can be to function in daily life when you’re wondering if your heart will ever feel whole again.

Like when I laid my head down on the bananas in the grocery store, completely spent during one of the most devastating seasons of my life. I was just standing there with an empty cart, a heart full of pain, and my face pressed into the display. A confused worker saw me and asked, “Can I help you?”

I turned my face toward him. Tears flooded out. And all I could think to say was, “I need a tissue.”

Nothing makes a day complete quite like a breakdown in front of a stranger.

But those days don’t have to be setbacks. They can be evidence that we’re moving through the hardest parts of healing. The new tears over old wounds are proof we’re tending to our emotions. We’re processing the grief. We’re wrestling well with the ache in our souls.

Feeling the pain is the first step toward healing the pain. And all those emotions that keep unexpectedly spilling out? They’re evidence of life under the surface. While feelings shouldn’t be dictators of how we live, they are great indicators of what still needs to be processed.

When we love deeply, we hurt deeply. This is why we have to learn how to trust the process of healing. We have to let it ebb and flow around, in, and through us. We have to grant it access to our hearts.

When we start to see healing as unfolding layers of unexpected strength and richly revealed wisdom, it doesn’t feel so unfair. It starts to feel like a secret wisdom God is whispering into the depths of our souls.

Then one day, we realize the future feels stunningly appealing. Not because circumstances have changed but because we have embraced reality, released control, and found that this healed version of ourselves is what we’d been looking for all along.

I don’t know what kind of pain or heartbreak you may be walking through right now. But embrace the hope found in our key verse: “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

Our God is a God of restoration. And all that aching within you is proof there’s a beautiful remaking in process. Don’t give up.

God loves you. You are not alone. Healing is possible.

God, when all I want is to be done healing, remind me that I can trust You in this process. Thank You for keeping Your promises. I know You will use even this for good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

You don’t have to survive the hard stuff alone. That’s the heart behind Season 10 of the Therapy & Theology podcast. If life feels complicated right now — if you’re weary, unsure, or stuck — these episodes were made for you. Wherever you listen, however you listen, Lysa TerKeurst, Jim Cress, and Dr. Joel Muddamalle will help you feel a little more hopeful and a lot less alone. Catch up on Season 10!

ENGAGE

Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (NIV).

Where have you seen the Lord come alongside you to help you heal from a deep hurt? How does remembering that encourage you in what you’re going through right now?

We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

© 2025 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.