Grace Valentine is a 24-year-old author, speaker, writer, and friend who started a blog in college. Today, she writes towards college-aged girls, helping them in their identity and purpose.  

PEER: Why did you start your blog in college? And did you ever receive backlash from your blog being a Christian blog? 

GRACE: Yes. I first worked for some secular websites and I first did some funny pieces and then slowly I began to do Christian pieces because that was what was on my heart—and they would do really well! So it was kind of interesting when you work for a secular website and you are posting Christian pieces and it is doing well and getting view counts then; that is part of the reason why I created my own blog it is because I was like, I want young women to be able to have a website where they can read a bunch of different articles and know will be encouraging and point them to Christ. It’s something that is relatable.  

Part of the reason I started my blog in college was that I just felt like everything that I read was never relatable or talking about issues I was going through. I wanted someone who is going to talk about struggling with singleness or struggling with “what is next.” I felt like even though I was young, it was the perfect time to start a blog because I know when I am going to crap, I want someone who also understands that crap and is kind of struggling to. It’s like a kind of “lean-on-each-other and points you to Christ—that was the whole point of it. I think I started it because it was the website that I know I needed when I was younger. When I was searching for stuff and I was really struggling and searching, it encouraged me because I was so broken.

And it did [receive backlash], sometimes. They [posts] do get mean comments—I mean it is social media and the Internet. You will always receive backlash, but I think when I received backlash it did end up on their timeline somehow like that is pretty cool.

PEER: What advice do you have for young people not getting derailed from living out their purpose during unexpected situations?

GRACE: I think it is so important to remember your purpose is never paused in whatever season you are in. If you are in a season with COVID where life has stopped your school year from being the way you expected and planned, you still have a purpose somehow and it is up to you to find God in the middle of the mess. God is there.  

God is waiting for you and I think of Scripture in the middle of the storm when Jesus was walking in the water and all the disciples in the boat yelled “it is a ghost.” I think that sometimes get tense when things go wrong and when there is a storm and there are things distracting us, we ignore Jesus and we think it is just a coincidence or He is not there but really, He is on top of the storm walking in the midst of it. We have to look at Him and be like Peter and step out of our comfort zone and our boat and take those steps towards Him. I think my biggest advice when you feel like your purpose has paused is to remember that it has never paused. God just wants you, in the middle of the mess, to take one step out of your boat or out of your comfort zone so that you can do your crazy. But if you want to do big things and if you want to live out a big purpose, it starts with a small step and looking at Jesus. If you want to do big things, you have to look at your big God. It is a big belief of mine. Do not let the circumstances of your life and the storm around you stop you from getting out of your boat, but also be willing to realize that you are not going to be able to do the crazy thing or your purpose in any season whether it is a calm day or storm if you do not look at God.

PEER: Yes, that is so good, because I think also a lot of young people don’t really know what their purpose is and I think you kind of answer both of those questions—like how do I figure out my purpose but also how do I not let COVID-19 or any other unexpected situations disrupt my purpose.

GRACE: I think people make purpose out to be like do it like even when people doubt I write books like how did I write a book? It really just started with posting my blogs on social media! It does not happen in this big unexpected way. It starts with a small step to being bold. Being bold is not doing a big thing, it is doing a purposeful thing that looks at Christ. Do not think about as much as how big your step is as long as you think about where your step is going. Is it going closer to God? Then you are going the right way. It does not have to be—it may just be, I think sometimes people think, it has to be a mission trip abroad. It can be going to your school and loving the peer next to you. It can be going to your college campus and joining a sorority or joining a club and not being afraid to talk about your faith. It does not have to be these big crazy things but usually, those small steps that are purposeful and looking at God will lead to the crazy, cool, and purposeful things that will be your “calling.”

PEER: In the busyness of life, how do you personally remain close to God?

GRACE: That is a great question because it is honestly something I always struggle with. I think I have to remind myself rest is not just sleeping; rest is knowing who is Sovereign in the midst of the crazy. Finding time to remind me of who knows me and knowing His Word is so crucial for me. Finding peace when life is busy, sometimes I have to remind myself my purpose is not my emotions, it is to be with Christ.  

Taking time whether it is on a walk and just walking and looking at nature and taking it in or even sometimes rest for me might be doing a service that is different than what I normally do. I am a big believer, we talk about love languages with people and we have love languages with Christ. Sometimes it is acts of service, sometimes it is physical touch and physically like praying in a praying position. Sometimes it might be worship or journaling. Doing different things to help you remember who He is and that He is Sovereign is what will truly give you rest. So, finding ways to make them a consistent habit in your life will help you in the midst of busy seasons.

PEER: You wanted to write a Christian lifestyle book about dating, boys, insecurities, comparison, success, and obviously, faith. What led you to write such a book on these topics?

GRACE: I think every time I would go to Barnes and Noble when I was struggling, nothing felt relatable to me what I was going through. I am a big believer that real and relatable is so important nowadays. People who are willing to admit what their struggle was or have struggled with but also point others to the truth. I think there needs to be someone like a big sister or friend they can speak to that is also not famous, is so ordinary, who still gets left on “read” by boys and gets ghosted.  

I am not this perfect Instagram influencer. Like I am the most ordinary and boring person you will meet, and I think that is what makes me beautiful and what makes hopefully my book reach people because I know exactly. Everyone’s life is different, and we all have our different struggles but something that I know I needed is someone who is like, you know, “I get it,” I have been there and this is the truth. I wanted to write a book that said Christianity is cool. What I realized when I fully walk with Christ, I have the most adventurous life ever. So that was kind of like the purpose of it. Both my first book and now my second book; my second book is called, “Is It Just Me?” It deals with when you feel alone, whether that is through current styles and peers, but it is also about reminding yourself that trusting in the Lord fully is what will give you the most adventure and what will help you when you are experiencing those storms, and those hurts, and those fears, and those doubts.

PEER: Do you have anything exciting in the works coming up and what can you share about that?

GRACE: I have a book coming out on February 9th and it is called “Is It Just Me?” And so it is available for pre-order now anywhere books are sold and check out my Instagram to see what pre-order bundles we have. This book is kind of like the first book—it was a question, Am I Enough? Now this book is another question, “Is It Just Me,” and I think I often face this question. Like am I the only one dealing with this, like am I the only one struggling with these hurts, these doubts, and with these fears? A big thing about it is trust issues. I think we are a generation with trust issues because we cannot trust boys and cannot trust friends, we have been betrayed by so many people, by older figures in our life, by the Church even. It is about how do you find true trust in the middle of hurts, doubts and fears?  

As I was writing this book, I began to experience and reflect on my past and my present struggles and it reminded me that I am not alone because yes, there is a God in front of me who is calling me to Him to take us towards Him, to fully and truly trust Him. But also there are people around struggling too; we all kind of need each other and you have to learn to trust people again—friendships, relationships and the church again. You also have to believe that your past doesn’t define your future relationships. That is kind of the whole point of it and just really learning to truly trust in God because I think so many times can I still believe in God, I believe He is there.

PEER: What is God teaching you right now?

GRACE: That is a great question. I mean 2020 has been hard for me when it comes to certain aspects of my life, my job and my book. COVID had caused me to struggle more financially, to struggle more in unexpected ways. I think God is just teaching me that every trial does become your testimony. There is no such thing as a setback, that is just really setting you up to help God’s Kingdom grow. I think so many times I am like falling behind because this happened to me or this happened and my life is floating out, I am really behind everyone else. There is no such thing as being behind other people. You have to realize that everything God puts in your life is going to work out for His good, and the good of His Kingdom, and good overall because it is going to help you believe in His purpose. So that is something that is hard to realize but just that trust when you are going through something so unexpected.

PEER: What is your favorite Bible verse or a Bible verse that has been on your heart recently?

GRACE: Actually, I had two. My favorite one is related to what I said recently, Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” 

As I have been writing this book, one passage that has been on my heart is Isaiah 40:30-31 (NIV), “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” That is so important for me right now because I think we as young people need to realize that God knew that youths would grow tired, and that we will get overwhelmed and frustrated, and that life would not go our way. We would literally be busy and stressed that we would physically be tired and also emotionally exhausted about the stuff we are dealing with but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength. If we want to renew our strength on all those days when life is overwhelming, then we have to trust fully in the Lord. That is when we can soar on wings like eagles. That is when can get through all our stuff and soar through—not just kind of struggle and doggy paddle through our storm. It is where you can literally rise above it. So that passage has been on my heart when I go through those hard things. And that is how I feel like 2020 has been for me and a lot of people, but you have to realize if I trust in the Lord, I will have that unstoppable strength because it comes from Him and in anything I do.  

Follow Grace Valentine on Instagram @thegracevalentine for mini-books and encouragement. You can pre-order her book, “Is It Just Me?” coming out on February 9 on wherever you find your books: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. at isitjustme.gracevalentine.org.  

This article was originally published in the January 2021 issue of Peer.