The Vessel Collection

“I hope if I ever go through something like this, I’ll handle it like you.”

“I know my struggle isn’t anything compared to what you’re going through.”

“God really does give special children to special people.”

I’ve heard these comments more times than I can count. They used to sting a little, but now they mostly break my heart—for the person saying them. Because somewhere along the way, we’ve convinced ourselves that suffering is a sliding scale. That there’s a ranking system for pain. That unless your story involves a medical diagnosis, a loss, or a headline-worthy tragedy, it’s somehow “less than.”

But suffering doesn’t work that way. And neither does God.

Just because I had cancer or parent a child with special needs doesn’t mean I’ve got the gold medal in hardship. My pain isn’t more important. It’s just mine. And your pain? It matters just as much to God.

He isn’t more present in the pediatric ICU than He is in your kitchen while you’re grieving in silence. He isn’t more faithful to the mom navigating therapies and diagnoses than He is to the woman crying quietly in her car after another disappointment.

There’s no hierarchy in the Kingdom of the Broken. There’s only this shared truth: God is faithful.

Peter and the Comparison Trap

After Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus met him after the resurrection and restored him. Three denials, three affirmations of love, and a new purpose. But even in that beautiful moment, Peter turned and asked, “What about him?”—referring to John.

Jesus replied, “What is that to you? You follow me.” (John 21:22)

It’s human nature to look at others and measure ourselves. To wonder if our pain counts. To assume someone else is stronger, holier, more “called” because their suffering seems more dramatic. But Jesus isn’t asking you to walk their road. He’s asking you to follow Him—right where you are.

No Suffering Olympics

If you’ve ever downplayed your struggles because someone else’s seemed worse, please hear this: pain isn’t a competition. You don’t have to earn the right to be seen. Your heartache, anxiety, waiting, and quiet disappointments matter. You don’t need a diagnosis or a dramatic story to justify your need for Jesus.

The enemy loves to use comparison to isolate us. He wants us to believe that unless we’re falling apart in public, we don’t have the right to ask for help. But the truth is, we’re all walking wounded. Some just bleed louder.

Grace for Each Story

Yes, I’ve walked through hard things. But the only reason I’m still standing is because God has held me up. The strength people see? That’s Him. The peace I have? That’s Him too.

And the same God who has been faithful to me will be faithful to you.

So let’s stop comparing wounds and start recognizing the Healer. Let’s stop measuring our trials and start sharing our hope.

Because the main line of every believer’s story isn’t the pain we’ve walked through—it’s the God who walked with us through it.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You that You are faithful to every story. Help me stop comparing my pain to others and instead draw near to You in honesty and trust. Remind me that my struggle matters and that Your presence is enough. Help me see Your hand in every part of my journey. Teach me to follow You, no matter the path. Amen.