{"id":2977,"date":"2025-03-16T23:33:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T23:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thoughtfulgems.com\/?p=2977"},"modified":"2026-03-30T19:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T19:25:03","slug":"the-comeback-im-still-standing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thoughtfulgems.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/16\/the-comeback-im-still-standing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Comeback: I’m Still Standing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Comeback <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5\/29\/24 9:59pm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He holds me closely. Each time I feel like I am about to break, God seamlessly streamlines all the pieces of my life story, those He delicately and intentionally crafted before I was born, together into something more beautiful than I could have imagined. I have learned and been challenged in what it means to be content no matter the circumstances. I have faced a LOT. And I\u2019m only 29 years old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past six months have been the most challenging of my life. I feel like I have lost many parts of who I was. Thankfully though, she\u2014whoever she<\/em> was\u2014is still with me. Somewhere, she exists. The big question on my mind is related to my career and whether the path I\u2019ve worked so hard for is the path God has for me. There seems to be so much working against it. But maybe that\u2019s why I must pursue it. After all, they say anything worth having is worth fighting for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I\u2019m fighting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some days, it feels like I\u2019m losing. But if I take in to account all the moments of victory and joy God has written into my story, it feels like I\u2019ve never lost, and that I never can.<\/strong> It feels like what I need to succeed is within me and is there whenever I need a reminder of who I am and who I was created to be. More importantly, whenever I need a reminder of Whose I am, I\u2019ll remember that I am more than a conqueror. I ought to not ever forget that. This is a comeback story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhat, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nRomans 8:31<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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I’m Still Standing <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\/23\/2025 8:18pm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is now 2025. You wouldn\u2019t believe the things that I have faced since I last wrote for the blog. Thoughtful Gems<\/em> will always be very special to me. I\u2019ll always proclaim how grateful I am to have this space to share my story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can easily say 2024 was the most challenging year of my life. A lot of people say things like this around the end of every year, but I know for certain that this statement carries more weight for me than this world will ever truly know. In one year, my life turned completely upside down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, my perspective has expanded and is forever changed. There\u2019s now a new meaning to the idea that I\u2019ve seen the world. And, someday, I will share the full story in a memoir. I\u2019ve seen so much, and it makes me even more inspired to keep going on this journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You guessed it. I am still <\/em>studying for my licensing exam. But things are different this time. This time, I\u2018m claiming victory and not accepting failure. Failure is no longer part of my story going forward. In fact, God said there would be no more failure. He has made good on this promise. I am almost there. I’m still standing, and I will pass.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFor God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nPhilippians 2:13<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Telling the Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As vulnerable as this makes me, I am open to sharing my story because I feel called to do so. I have always known my testimony was never just for me. My story is meant to be shared. So, I must be brave. I must not remain silent.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, writing is a freeing experience. So is any form of storytelling. I talk about the meaning and impact of sharing stories in my Kevin MD post \u201cFailure is not the end: Creating space for grace in the medical field\u201d<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/a> Stories of failure and triumph over failure are worthy to be told. Our stories are worth telling to those willing to listen. You never know who you may inspire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides, art outlives us all. I don\u2019t mean to sound melancholy, but none of us will be here forever. Why not find a way to make your story count? It matters because you lived it. It lives on because you share it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old mentor once said, \u201cWriting is having power. It\u2019s having influence. It\u2019s shaping minds. It\u2019s a tool of having a voice. If you were to die tomorrow, what would you want to say?\u201d I think this could be applied to many creative gifts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To answer the question, I would want to share my story. So, while I am here, if given the chance, I will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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