Sound of Surviving Blog

I often see pictures of my friends getting married and having families, and while I’m always genuinely happy and excited for them, there is always that piece of me that wonders when, or if, I’ll ever get to live a life like that. That part of me that questions when I’ll get there. And then the fact that hits me, that I might never get there.  It’s a gut-wrenching feeling, that wondering what could’ve or would’ve been, if not for the countless obstacles we’ve faced.

I often wonder how the way I pictured myself and the way my life would go could change so much over the years. Sometimes it feels cruel, like God has stripped away all of the ways and things I could define myself by. But then I see that he’s not taking away pieces of me, but is actually adding to the bigger picture. All this time, he’s been trying to show me that all I need to appreciate what I’m going through is to embrace this life I have been given, not the one I think I should have, but the life I’m living.

No, embracing the life I have is not an easy task, but rather a difficult feat. It means I’m finding joy in the present moments, not longing for what was in the past, even if that means leaving some of those old dreams behind.

Everything we go through in our lives, good or bad, is constantly shaping us into who we were meant to be, preparing us for the life God designed for us to live. You see, we weren’t made to just sit back and relax, as much as I wish we were. We were made to do hard things. That’s why, like a diamond, God is constantly refining us into the priceless gems we were made to be. To me, the most amazing thing about this, is that God doesn’t just leave me in the wilderness to walk these treacherous roads alone. No, he sent his one and only son into the world, to rescue me and walk alongside of me. For “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”- Philippians 4:13.

With Christ at our side, we can ask him to help us carry all the past dreams the former versions of ourselves once held, and focus instead, on the new ones that we hold now. I would have never dreamed that I could find hope or joy, by embracing this life I’ve been given. But with Christ at my side, I can find the strength to embrace the unembraceable, and conquer dreams unimaginable.