Hard, Sad, Difficult Days...

I feel like the past couple of days have just been a whirlwind for me. One of my life long friends (who has also sold KEEP Collective with me) passed away, I said goodbye to two friends that are moving away, and celebrated a baby being born, not to mention all of the normal ins and outs of life as a mom of 3 little boys. These big life events are just a part of life, right? 

Well, I've been thinking and praying about that all day today. What is the point of all of these events? Why can't life just be easy? What is the point of all this difficulty?  Why do we have to say goodbye to people we love? Why can't all the big events be fun, like celebrating a friend's new baby?

These questions will always remain because we cannot possibly understand God's ways. Isaiah 55:8 says, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." 

I do believe though, that if we pray and seek God's heart and lay our questions at His feet, He will speak to us and comfort us. As I have cried and prayed and tried to wrap my mind around the passing of my friend, I have also seen some amazing things that have already come from this horribly sad situation. I have watched my KEEP family come together like never before, praying for one another, and encouraging one another. I witnessed many families decide to hold their loved ones a little tighter tonight. I've seen folks take a step back and reconsider what is truly important. I have told my friends I love them instead of just hoping that they know. I've spoken to some people that I haven't spoken to in quite some time. I could go on... 

As I have prayed and seeked the reasons why these difficult times must come, God has reminded me that it is in these times that we recall what life is really about. Of course, He has many beautiful things in the works. He will use these sad times for even more good in the long run but right now, in these moments, there is still good to be found. He has a way of bringing beauty from ashes almost immediately.

Can you imagine life without these hard days? We would take each other for granted even more than we already do. We would be even more selfish than we already are. We would forget how precious life is. These difficult times are not wanted but maybe, just maybe, they truly are for our good.

Today, although I do not like these hard times at all, I am grateful that God uses even the most difficult situations for good. We may not be able to answer all of our questions or make sense of all the pain but, we can look for the little things that God brings out of sadness. It doesn't mean that we want to experience loss or pain but when we do, we can know that God has a purpose greater than we can understand. 

Thank you Jesus, for bringing something beautiful out of things that are so sad. Times like these cause us to refocus and reevaluate and remember WHO you are and how precious this life is. Without these difficulties, we would forget. Thank you that your ways are beyond anything we can imagine and that we can trust you with our lives. There is so much freedom in choosing to trust You. Amen