4 Notes for Life's Bumpy Road

I've always enjoyed reading and writing every since I was a little girl. The joy of bringing home a new book from the library to explore always uplifted me, even encouraged me. I remember when I was younger that we had the Accelerated Reader program in my school, and I always read at least one book a week. I loved reading, so much, that I began to write.

I couldn't tell you the exact time period that I decided to start writing or what I actually wrote about, but I'm glad I began. I started out writing poems, of all things, because I never considered myself being that great at writing short stories, and I thought myself as too much of an introvert to write anything personal. 

A while ago, I found some of my earliest poems that I had written as a teenager - those writings were pretty dark and sad. Although I knew Jesus as my Savior, I really didn't know Him as my Friend back then. My writings, then and now, tend to reflect whatever situation I'm in or compelled to write about, but back then about ten years ago, I seemed to write out of confusion.

For my writers, readers, and travelers in this Christian life, when you're in a place in life that has you feeling lost, confused and disoriented, remember these few things:

1. Always remember the ultimate reason why you're doing what you're doing. - Whether you want to begin writing, blogging/vlogging, traveling, speaking, or transition into entrepreneurship, there has to be a reason to why you're pursuing what you are. It's easy to get caught up doing something that you love everyday, all day, but if we lived our lives this way, we would be neglecting vital aspects of our lives. While one area would be strong, all others would be falling apart. Remember to remain focused on your greatest calling, and with this...
2. Your life's purpose is to glorify God. - You may be sent to do different things in life - be a full-time missionary, pastor, public/motivational speaker, or even a teacher or stay at home mom, but we all have been called by God, and that is to glorify Him with the skills and resources He has given each of us. All that we have comes from God, and with what He has stewarded to us, we should be responsible in effectively using those resources to promote the message of the Gospel.
3. Don't compare your failures to someone else's successes.- I fall into this trap, even as a writer. We often compare our life's circumstances to something or someone that is probably no better off than us. Each of us have been called to fight our specific battles and give answers to specific questions that this world needs. Just because you're not where you want to be in life doesn't mean God is through with you. Like the words of one of my favorite songs by for KING & COUNTRY, "It's not over yet!"
4. Allow your true personality to shine. - Stop getting yourself caught up trying to be like someone else, when God made you just the way you are for a reason. I used to be uncomfortable about being an introvert, so much that I allowed it to stop me from doing one of the very things I loved most - writing. For about eight years, I went without writing a thing besides what was required of me for school assignments and papers. My passion for writing was gone. God made each of us the way that we are to serve a unique purpose in advancing His mission and Gospel. Although it may be scary at times, He promises in His Word to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He alone is our very present help and gives us our ability to uniquely weird, funny, and slightly crazy for Him.

In the midst of much confusion, where does your faith and trust lie? Does it rest in the hands of men, where it can be trampled upon, crushed, or even destroyed? Or, does your trust rest in the saving, redeeming hope of the Gospel of Christ?

Choose today.

SDG