Twenty one…
Our baby girl, Presley Jane, turned 21 years old yesterday. I honestly cannot believe how time really does seem to go by too quickly.
It seems like yesterday I was in a hospital room snuggled up with her little angelic face and thanking God over and over for this angel baby.
As I was looking through old pictures of her, tears welled up in my eyes and big lump in throat…
I realized something.
Seasons change.
No matter how hard the season, or how good the season…
Eventually a new season comes.
As I looked at her high school pictures, I remembered some very difficult days for her. Friendship losses, feeling insecure…all the high school things.
However, there were also good days, very good days.
Her senior year, especially, we saw some wonderful days.
Beginning in her Junior year, my prayer every single day over her was this…
“Lord, please let the end be better than the beginning for Presley and her high school years.”
Desperately, I wanted her to end her high school years well.
You know what?
God answered that momma’s prayers.
He brought many wonderful things into her life those last few months of high school.
I still stand amazed and I STILL thank God for answering that prayer.
When you live long enough…you can really trace the Hand of God.
You can see the miracles, the answered prayers, the desperate momma prayers slowly being made into something beautiful….
Of course, it is also easy to choose not to see.
It is easy to get caught up in the bitterness, hopelessness, and doubt.
If you find yourself here….
Turn your eyes to Jesus.
Every. Single. Day.
Do not let the enemy whisper lies of hopelessness to you, because he will certainly try.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Instead, every single day when your eyes open, thank God for another day. Thank Him for the hard times because they will produce the sweetest fruit.
Our children do not grow in the easy times…and neither do we.
We grow though the rain, storms, and hardships.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
When we choose to live in HOPE, it goes against the grain of the world. When we choose to walk by faith and not by sight…it looks weird and unfamiliar to the watching world.
Choose HOPE anyway.
Choose JOY anyway.
One day, you will look back and see….
You will see God’s Hand in those times.
You will see things that you cannot see while you are in the thick of it.
The end will always be better than the beginning.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Ecclesiastes 7:8
choosing joy,
jill
