It’s not all roses
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it – Charles R. Swindoll
If you’ve lived long enough (sometimes it doesn’t take very long at all) something will happen in your life that is unexpected, unwanted, unavoidable or all three rolled into one. I’d love to be able to say that life is a beautiful experience and each day will be a joy and a wonder but in truth, life is sometimes hard, unfair and tragic.
Whether the hardship you face is due to circumstances beyond your control or a mess of your own creation, difficult times can easily become part of your identity; part of who you are as a person. The question of whether this is a good or a bad thing, however, lies in your hands.
Living with the scars
A child who loses a parent at a young age will be forever shaped by the experience of living without that person in their life. Similarly, someone who faces a life-threatening disease or who has to overcome some kind of disability will undoubtedly be influenced by the circumstances in their life. However, the influence doesn’t need to be negative. It is possible to use hard times as motivation to do more, become stronger and rise above.
We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. – Romans 8:28
God has promised that when we choose to let Him into our lives and accept the price that Jesus paid for us to be able to know God personally, He can take our difficulties and struggles and use that to make something beautiful. We don’t need to carry the scars or burdens of past tragedy in a way that labels us as a victim, or somehow damaged. We can give the marks left to God and He restores us and strengthens us.
If you would like to know more about how Jesus can make all the difference in your life, please click on the link.