God's Grace through the Challenges

It's been so long since I last posted. It feels like a lifetime ago. My life has been constantly changing ever since the beginning of last year. I don't think there's been much of anything that's been a real constant in my life. In many ways, it has been wonderful. I've ventured out of my comfort zone. I've done so many things that I've never done before. It's been a constant challenge...and honestly, it's been pretty rewarding. I've learned a lot. That's not to say that it has been easy. There's been challenges that have been really tough. Ones that I don't understand why I have to deal with.

I'm not here to talk about all the problems in my life. Everyone deals with challenges. Everyone has issues that they have to deal with. It's a part of life. Whether these hardships change overtime or one disappears in order for another one to appear, I think that we can all agree that challenges are a part of everyday life. Sin entered this world and hardships are now something that we have to constantly deal with.

In the face of that, life seems kind of daunting, doesn't it? I feel you. I really do. In all honestly, life hasn't been the easiest this fall/winter. There's been times when I've lost sight of the goals in front of me. I've forgotten or abandoned the purpose that God has given me. And I wonder why I'm even here. What's the point of all of this? It's awful. I feel ashamed, but you know what? I'm saved. I'm saved by grace. I don't have to be ashamed because God's grace covers all my faults. His forgiveness sets me free. Why am I telling you this? I want you to know me for who I am. I'm a broken human being. I'm sinful. I have my faults. I'm not perfect.

We all deal with different kinds of challenges and hardships. What's important is that you are not alone during those hard times. You are not on your own. God, who's greater than you and any of the problems that you may be going through, is always with you. Even more so (this is something that I've been realizing a lot lately) God will bring certain people into your just at the time when you need them. He has done that a lot for me lately. There are so many people that came into my life just when I needed them. They are such a blessing and they don't even know it. I have so much to be thankful for.

This just goes to show that you may be a blessing in someone else's life without even knowing it. Someone may be going through a really rough point in their life and your words may be just what they need to hear. You never know. So be kind. Show the grace and love that God has shown you. Such things can go a long way. You may never know how much of a difference you're making in other people's lives. Be the light that you want to see in this broken world. Hold on tightly to the relationships you have. They are more precious and rare that any jewel that can be found on this earth.

G Paige

Life. People. Purpose. Meaning. What's Important?

I'm here.

Can you hear me?

The silence is deafening.

Does it make a difference whether I write or not? I would like to think that it does. Maybe, just maybe, my words will mean something to someone.

Words. They can mean so many different things. Hope. Anger. Joy. Sadness. Contentment. The list is long. Much longer than the space I have here.

Life is a hectic, busy mess. Seeing friends, both old and new. Conversations, some involving tears. Others that make me so happy that I can't help but smile.

Often, there are times when I'm just done. I don't want to have anything to do with this world or the people in it. It's too hard. But sometimes, I'm able to see the beauty of life. Though there are times when it is so hard to just keep moving forward, that makes those precious moments and memories so much sweeter.

Life is not just about me. I've known that for a long time. But I think that I've only fully begun to understand just what that means when you live it out. It involves going out of your way to make a difference in the lives of the people around you. Sometimes that's as simple as sending a text to someone, showing him or her that you care and you're thinking of them. Other times it takes a little more effort. Like taking time out of your day to talk to someone who's struggling. Or spending some money to make another person's day. It takes effort. It's hard. But the results are so worth it.

It is so much more important to understand that what you do matters. Especially since life isn't about you...or me. It really matters. Every action you take has some effect on those around you. There's no way around it. What you do matters. So find what's important to you. What is your purpose? Find those things that fulfill your purpose and bring meaning into your life. Once you find them, pursue them. Don't pursue them halfheartedly. PURSUE THEM. Chase them. If it takes doing something that you don't enjoy for the time being to get to what you do enjoy. Do it. If it takes letting go of some things in order to spend time on what's actually important to you. Do it. Don't wait. Nothing's going to change until you make a move.

Plenty of people talk about waiting for an answer from God before making a move to follow or pursue some dream. I'm not against that. There's a time and a place for that. For sure. But more often than not I find that we need to make the first move before we get an answer from God. Let's say that you're in the driver's seat of a car. God is the steering wheel to lead you in the right direction. You have to press the gas pedal in order for God to steer you in the right direction. The steering wheel is useless until the car is moving. You can't tell which direction you're headed until you start to move. And maybe there will be a time that you'll head in the wrong direction. That's entirely possible. In fact, it is probable. For that, I can tell you only one thing. God is great at redirecting. He will make sure that you are following the plan that he has for your life even though you can't see it. He knows your purpose backward and forwards. He's not going to let you go down the wrong path forever.

G Paige

You are not alone.

I was recently struck with the realization of how precious life is...and how fragile it is. Life is radiant, vibrant, so full of...essence. But it is also very delicate. It is like a wisp of smoke that disperses into the air. It is soon long forgotten and never to be seen again.

If you didn't know, I listen to a lot of K-pop (Korean pop music). It wasn't long ago that an artist, who I have listened to, died. His death was investigated and it is believed that he committed suicide. Now, I don't know much about this person at all. I've listened to his music, I've watched some of his YouTube videos here and there. That's about it. But it was still devastating to hear this news. Such cases like this are not uncommon, I've heard of stories that are similar. But this time it struck me harder than before. I don't know why, but it did. And it hurts. It hurts to know that someone died by their own hand because they couldn't deal with living in this world any longer.

Life is precious. It is more precious than money or fame. It is more precious than the world itself. Why? Because there is a God who created each and every one of us to the tiniest detail. There isn't a single thing that he doesn't know about us. Those reasons alone should give us more than enough to understand how valued we are. If that isn't enough, we are the only beings, out of everything that he has made, that was created in his image. We are God's creation. We are loved and valued by him. Because honestly, why would he create something that he didn't love and enjoy? We can't begin to understand his thoughts or motives, but the truth is there for us to see. We are his and he is there for us.

I'm not saying that he is there some of the time. God is there all of the time. Even in those moments where one thing after another goes wrong. Even when it feels like everyone has their life together, but you feel like yours is falling to pieces. You're not alone. No one is ever alone. I don't want you to ever feel that way. I know that feeling. It's crippling. It halts everything that is going on in your life and it just consumes your mind. I struggle with it a lot. Every time I move and settle into a new place, a new home, I feel so alone. With the technology that there is today, I can still keep in touch with everyone who I'm friends with. But that doesn't even remotely compare to a face to face conversation.

No matter where you are, no matter what's going on in your life, God is there for you. It may seem like he's distant, like he's never really there. But that is not true. He's always there. Sometimes, he's just silent. Sometimes, he's working in ways that you can't physically see. And that's alright. You just have to trust that he knows what is best for you. That trust is something that I have to constantly work on. I go back and forth on how strong my trust is in him. But trusting him is the only way to feel truly comforted, to be at peace. There is no other way.

And I want you to know that I am here too. You're not alone. God is with you but there are also people around you that here for you. All you have to do is allow them to be there for you. If you're ever need someone to listen to you or maybe to just be there for you, I'm here. Don't allow yourself to be shut off from those who care about you. Their care for you is not pointless. They want to be of help...and so do I.

G Paige