I sat in my prayer closet, picked up my journal, and turned back the worn pages. Tears had blurred the ink in some entries, other pages contained barely legible scribbles—the result of my frantic writing in a dark moment. The journal was hard to read in places, but no matter how painful the day or season, I kept writing.
I rarely look at past entries in my journal, but that day, I decided to mark the days and season that seemed life-shaping. Dark places, marked. Challenging days, marked. Victorious days, marked. It amazed me how the marked hard days screamed so much louder than the unmarked days. I had been hesitant to look back in my journal, because in my mind, it had all been such a jumbled mess.
But something extraordinary became clear as I turned back the pages and marked those seasons. Often, something providential happened in close proximity to something painful. There have been plenty of hard seasons, but goodness and mercy have indeed followed me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)
As I looked at the timeline, it was clear what seemed like a jumbled mess was actually leading me toward many precious treasures. After some of the most painful seasons, victory followed. Providential moments were waiting! Providence is defined as “divine guidance or care.” God was guiding each moment with great care, knowing good days were ahead. The 
pages that seemed like a mess were steps of preparation needed to walk into the next providential day or season.
When you look back at your own life—those pages filled with hard days and seasons—you will see God there. He was shaping circumstances, forming a timeline, and orchestrating moments for your good. When I look at the current season of my life, I realize I couldn’t take this journey without the lessons learned in those tough seasons. The marked pages of dark, hard times were a lesson in how God delights in the treasure hunt. Sometimes we have to look hard for the treasures in the darkness, but they are there. And there is always something to be grateful for.
God is with you, carrying you through the seasons when you can’t stand on your feet. He is walking you through with great care.
Providential moments are waiting for you ahead. Hang on.