Sound of Surviving Blog

I think one of the hardest parts for me during this season of my life is the wondering. Wondering why this thing didn’t work out, why I feel like I failed at this, or why I didn’t get the job I just interviewed for. It doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, as to why I’m trying so hard, but getting nowhere. But I think I finally figured it out. Maybe God is using us in a different way. It might not be the way that we pictured, but it’s all part of God’s master plan for us. A few weeks ago, I interviewed for a job that I thought I’d be perfect for. I didn’t get it, and was really bummed out about that, but I saw a Facebook post a few days after, on a town Facebook page. It was a mother asking for help creating scrapbooks for her daughter, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She said she wanted to make up scrapbook albums for her daughter to help her remember her family and friends, but also for her to have after her daughter passed away. I love scrapbooking and have been doing it for years. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. So, I sent the mother a private message, saying I would love to help. After communicating back and forth and meeting a few times, I got all the supplies and pictures from the mother. We talked for a while, and I thanked her for entrusting me with this job. She replied that she was grateful for my help, because she’d have no idea where to start in putting everything together. As I worked on and finished the first album this week, I found myself really getting lost in working on the album, and truly enjoying it. It gave me a purpose for something to work on. I messaged her to let her know I was finished with the first album today, and she thanked me. I told her how much I was enjoying working on the albums for her and her daughter, to which she responded, “I’m so happy we found each other.” I genuinely replied that I was too. I am the kind of person who believes that everything happens for a reason, and that God is always intervening in our lives. Even though I didn’t get the position I had interviewed for, God had everything worked out all along, but he always does. If I had gotten that job, I wouldn’t have been able to help this woman with the scrapbooks she needed. God places us in the right spot, at just the right time, always. I’d like to think of it as learning how to follow one of God’s major life lessons, as helping others before we help ourselves. I am so grateful for the constant reminders from God that I’m exactly where He wants me to be, right now, every day.

So next time you’re feeling frustrated or discouraged, or wondering why something didn’t work out, or what went wrong, remember that God has a plan and a purpose for every little thing in your life. Each stroke helps paint a miraculous bigger picture.