I get it. The happy-go-lucky posts might get more views. The fluffy, easy posts might garner more likes. But oftentimes the happy and the fluffy are masking what’s really going on. And when it comes down to it, I’m not really sure that’s what people actually want to read.

So here’s my encouragement to you.

Write about the places that hurt. Write about the darkness and the loneliness you feel. Write about the fears that plague you and the doubts that clutter your mind. Write about the hard days and the anxious thoughts and the things you struggle to believe.

Because honestly…the world is a lot smaller than you might think, people a lot more similar to you than you might expect, and grief a lot more universal than you might realize.

So write about the real stuff. Share about the hurting places in your life, but don’t forget to point to the secure, steadfast hope that you have amidst the fears and the anxieties and the doubts and the pains. Remind your readers that God is good, always and forever and ever, and that there is hope.