For those of you who recall some of my past exploits, you’ll understand how impossible this prompt question really is!
In a nut shell, my life started out painfully, thrusting me onto a path that did nothing aside from adding to said, Early Life Misery. Were there some years that were not The Hard Years? I’m sure there were! It’s just not as easy to remember good and pleasant things, when their crowded out by the “Hard” ones that strive to rob me of my joy.
Maybe it’s that way for everyone, somehow.
To answer the prompt fully, I would have to say that time, itself, yanked me through many a hard year. Yes, sometimes God employs a method that’s tried and true, to bring his children to look up. It’s in those moments of looking up, as I call it, we’re carried through whatever it is that’s overwhelming, painful, and many times, life-altering.
It’s that way for me, at least. Maybe your journey has been steadier than mine, perhaps not. For some, its been far more difficult and tragic. Some may live a life that only has one or two Hard Years in them, while others lives have felt like a revolving doorway of pain and suffering. It’s different for everyone.
Why?
It’s one of those unanswerable questions that I put in a folder labeled “It’ll All Come Out In the Wash”, and I tuck that into the depths of my heart! While my mind understands that some were meant for a softer journey, and others must take a more difficult one, it still hurts my heart to see it!
Though I may not ever fully see the reasons for the way my journey has been, thus far, I do believe that God allowed it for a purpose! No, I haven’t seen the purpose clearly, and quite possibly, I never will. You know, I believe that for some of us, it no longer matters, really. Yes, there are days I wish that I understood things more fully. Who doesn’t have those days? But, then I realize that to have all the answers handed to me, I might be sacrificing my own level of faith, if that makes sense.
My belief in God’s power over this world comes from more than just what I can see, and not simply from what I feel, or think. If we step back and truly observe the world around us, and the place we hold within it, our position is quite precarious. And, with absolutely no guarantees of success, or even survival!
To “get through” those hard moments, days, and/or years, my faith in a Creator that loves those He created has carried me this far, and with all my appendages still attached.
If you haven’t had the chance to try this whole Faith method out, I highly suggest you give it a whirl, as they say. I linked to a definition of the actual word, but if you really want to be adventurous, you could read Hebrews chapter 11. I know that the definition is only in verse 1, but the rest of the chapter makes it all quite clear, in my opinion.
I leave you with this tidbit of encouragement about living by faith:
Having faith may not make the journey any easier... but the load we must carry will assuredly become lighter!
Just sayin!
Journey With Me! 