Can we just have a moment of silence for the screenwriters of “This Is Us''? That show is everything! In watching that show, and watching the lives of the three main characters unravel, through all the madness, they all still end up exactly where they wanted to be. No idea how they would get there, if they would make it, or if they would ever heal/get the closure they seek, but in due time, throughout the course, they made it!!
I think it's so crazy how life takes you on this wild roller coaster just so you can end up exactly where you have always wanted, or even give you better. If you dream it, believe it, it can and will happen for you. God planted that dream in your heart for you to go after it, for you to strive for it because it is yours. How do you get there though? It's going to be nothing like you have ever imagined. You will take the back roads, the main roads, the high roads, the low roads, and even the dirt roads full of potholes and rocks. And we the people, are like cars on that road, each road taking you to your everlasting destination. Now it’s those dirt roads you have to be aware of, the road where your whole ride is bumpy. The entire mechanics and framework of your vehicle (you) are deteriorating and you're wondering when will you ever get off this road, when will you ever get on to better roads.
When on those bumpy roads, it's most important to drive slow. Slower than the speed limit even, because when you try to speed through that road you're only adding more stress to your car (you). Slow and steady wins the race…
I hear it all the time, I see it all the time. How you have to be patient, and life isn't a one-way street, and there are many different ways to get to one destination or one place. I am learning (the hard way) that life really isn't linear and that you have to let go of your own expectations of how life should be. As for me, I think I let go, I want to let go, but as with the stories I write, I have this elaborate story already written in my head on how it's supposed to be. In doing so, in reality, I am not letting go of anything, I am still holding on to my expectations. I should be more fluid, take things as they come. Instead, I find myself waking up most mornings dreading the season that I am in, cursing at God for what I don’t have, or where I think I ought to be, rather than being grateful for where I am and being presented with a new day. How stubborn am I? I am sure God is looking down at my life and is like…Oh this child of mine, what am I going to do with her?”
“Thinking of a future heaven creates a present hell.” Meaning you think you will be happy when you get here, so you resent where you are at now. Living in your future, or your past is not healthy. We must live in the present, live in the moment, and cherish it for what it truly is: a gift, a new opportunity.
The road you are currently on may not look like what you want, and you may be ready to get your car in park and say screw it (that's okay too!) As long as eventually, you keep driving. The only way up is through. Unknown to us, but known to Him…. The man upstairs, the King of all Kings, He is all-knowing, all-seeing, so trust in Him and his reasoning for your path. It builds faith, it builds courage, and it builds resilience.
God wants all his children happy and content with their lives, but sometimes you gotta have the ugly chaos to really appreciate the good. If you got everything handed to you easily, we would all be in the Kingdom like spoiled brats thinking we are the almighty, instead of humbled Sheppard willing and able to bend and break for His goodness. God gives his people a message to share, and through their journey, we can inspire others to never give up- because it's hard for everyone, in so many different ways, but if you just keep driving, despite the conditions, you will get to the other side! Spoiler alert: it's where the blessings reside!