To live in a broken world with broken people can be exhausting so to find beauty in the midst of chaos is courage. Most of us can agree this past year has been a crazy ride. I found myself at times feeling a little broken and discouraged. Things happen to us, all around us, all the time and when it's beyond our control we are caught off guard. So, how do we ride the waves of life? It's not like were given an instruction manual telling us how to navigate. My only take away from past years' is that your strength comes from your own resiliency.
“Suffering is a part of living in a fallen world,” as explained in Genesis 3:16-19 and Roman 8:18-25. “No one is immune to pain and suffering; it's universal.
In discovering that, finding strength in a season can be harder then the season itself. Why is that? Most of us live life on autopilot; our routines are predictable, we fill our calendars with repetitive activities and unconsciously wire ourselves to follow the same plan without thinking. We all have our own ways of life but we often wonder if we're on the right path. It's important to know that every season is unique in its' circumstance. "Waves are the voices of the tides. Tides are life." We have a choice, we can choose who and how will be when pushed out of our comfort zones.
This time last year I began to ride an unexpected wave of uncertainty and doubt. My job was eliminated after twelve years, my closet relationships were strained and my self-esteem hit a low. All I could think about was, what next, where do I go from here. Eventually, I let go of the idea of where I thought my life was going and found the courage to ride out the uncertainty. It wasn't easy; it came with a lot of tears, more then enough sleep, crazy workouts and whole lot of me time.
Little did I know all of this was part of the circumstance. In the midst of chaos was rest, a chance to spend more time with my family, the opportunity to self reflect and a new way of thinking. For the first time in a long time I was able to do things with intent. There was a sense of peace, possibility and new adventure. My life had been on autopilot for so long I forgot how amazing it felt to just be. I realized the best thing we can do as humans is be present, be mindful and intentional in every moment. In not doing so we impede on our own personal growth stripping away our true potential. Waves of life bring about opportunity.
Don't get caught up in the busyness of life, and forget to catch more then one wave. Waves are the soul purpose to life. It's not meant to always go our way. Resiliency defines our experiences, our struggles and our goals. This is where we grow and we learn. Waves of life are unique, we can't always be on the up and up but to find the strength to get back up is powerful. Let resiliency be your focus in life, it is the ability to ride the waves with grace. Don't live life on autopilot, don't miss out on the waves meant for you. One of the hardest lessons in life is holding on to things that are trying to let go.