I don’t know that any aspect of my life is as I thought it would be when I was younger. It is not at all the picture I had in my mind. This truth has been the source of some, o.k., a lot of heartache and questioning for me. As I have wrestled with God over the years about the disparity between the life I wanted and the life I have, I think I have learned and continue to learn a few things that I hope will encourage you if you find yourself in a life script that you would not have written for yourself.
Be Happy Today – Don’t wait for tomorrow. Don’t wait until you’ve finished. Don’t wait until you’ve arrived. Don’t wait until the finish line. Celebrate today. Give thanks today. Rejoice over progress not just completion. Life is happening now, embrace it.
Your Circumstances Don’t Define You – Oh, society will scream loudly and well intending people will label you, but you are so much more than your circumstances. I spent years believing the lie that I didn’t have the life I wanted because I wasn’t one of God’s favorites, or because I’d taken a misstep, or maybe because I just wasn’t enough. So many people, maybe all people have circumstances in their life that they would not choose. These circumstances don’t mean that God doesn’t love you or that He is holding out on you. On the contrary, He loves you and He loves me, we are both His favorites and He trusts us with our life stories and provides us enough grace to walk the road He’s called us to.
Be Where You Are – If you spend your time wishing you were somewhere else you can’t enjoy all the beauty God has given you right where you are. Do what He has put in front of you today and do it with joy and excellence. Today is what we have and tomorrow is not promised, so show up for it, engage in it, put down your phone, look into their eyes, listen with your whole heart and live fully!
Let Go of Comparison – God called you to the life you are living. It can be so easy to look around and think, I want their life! I’ve learned that life is beautiful and hard all at the same time and each individual is dealing with some of both. Focus on your lane, focus on reaching your intended destination, focus on getting all you can from your journey and cheer others on as they seek to navigate their own path.
Life, I’ve realized for each of us includes circumstances that we would’ve never seen coming and that likely are not what we would’ve chosen. The beauty about even the heartache is that God uses it to show us so much about ourselves and about who He is.
There are days I still struggle with reality versus the picture in my mind, but I am learning to trust Him more, to trust Him at His word, to trust that He always has my best in mind and that He knows exactly the part I need to play in my time here on earth and my job is to embrace the story He is unfolding before me. I’ve learned a few things and I’m still learning. What about you? What has God been teaching you through a life that didn’t go as planned?
Neeserisms 
I’ve certainly learned some good things as I struggle through my days. I learned to lean on the Grace that He has given me and trust Him fully.
I love life, and this is my life, I will forever be thankful for the countless blessing He has given and keeps giving me.
In the big picture…life is worth living.
Thankyou Denice
You are a wonderful example of God’s amazing grace!!
On point! All four points you made are so spot on! I love that you encourage us to live in the moment, valuing this moment, rather than waiting for the ever-awesome imagined ‘someday’ to bring happiness with it.
Absolutely God loves each of us especially well! I love your faith journey writings. Thank you for sharing openly from a pure heart.
I am still learning this Truth. I can so easily fall into the “if only…..” state of mind, which leads to depression, second-guessing, and dissatisfaction with my life. Ultimately it brings my focus totally on myself. What a waste of time and energy!! I received a WONDERFUL devotion book from my daughter for Christmas. It’s all about discovering the JOY in life through the smallest of moments of peace, the most cherished moments with friends and family, and creatively retraining my thinking to reflect the TRUTH and the VAULE of my life experiences – good, and not so good. So DAILY I am counting my blessings! And there are LOTS of them! DAILY I thank the Lord for His Grace, Mercy, Faithfulness and NEVER-ENDING, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR ME! He has entrusted me with the life I am living. He has found me WORTHY to meet the challenges I have encountered…. not just surviving life, but growing and learning and becoming the woman He desires me to be. My sincere desire is to be a blessing to others. To demonstrate the Love of Christ to my family, friends, neighbors, …. anyone the Lord brings across my path. When I take the focus off of ME, and look at my life with a new perspective, look at myself the way Christ sees, and cling to His WORD and His TRUTH, I am able to live in peace, contentment, and yes, even joy! Thank you for sharing this most timely message. I am encouraged and so appreciate your wisdom and ability to share the TRUTH. Our lives have meaning and purpose – right now, right where we are, right where we live – every day!
Your life has meaning & purpose for many Marsha, of that I’m sure! Thanks for sharing!!