So through the rough patches that life has thrown out, especially in the last few months, it always seems easier to look at the worst side of things. I found myself continuously looking at the "poor me" side of a situation. Lately I have seen that the more that I focus on the good side of things the more that I can see more and more good things.
Recently, i have lost a lot of really good friends. By lost I don't mean permanently, but we dont keep in touch and its just not the same as it used to be. This has caused me to have to step out of my comfort zone and try to meet and make new friends. At first I was super intimidated, cuz I really haven't had to make friends in a while because I had basically the same group of friends all through High School. But, having to step out has proven to be amazing. I met two super amazing girls, Brooke and Gladys, who love to sing (added bonus) and are totally on fire for God. Andd it seems that my relationship with Cherish, aka replacement Katy, has been going stronger and I love it.
Another recent thing has been competition cheer. Even though I coach, i stress out as much, if not more, than the girls do. It is such a huge time commitment and I sometimes find myself feeling like this is a lost cause. Then when i really stop and focus on what they are doing I see how far the team really has come together. With someone having a sharper motion than the time before, or walking to their transition cleaner is all a step towards the completion of a fantastic routine. These girls work so hard day in and day out and the HUGE smiles on their faces when they finally get that stunt they have been working on makes all of the stress totally worth it!!
And finally church...it seemed like it would be easy to see the bad in the recent situations that have come about, but God is just continuing to prove His faithfulness. First off, worship. Wow! To see what God has done with the hearts of those on the worship team, to me, is honestly incredible. The children's and youth ministries are continuing to grow every single week and that is amazing as well. Our congregation is still continuing to grow and through all of this, God has shown me that He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. He has taken a hurtful situation and turned it into something so...beautiful, for lack of a better word. I am amazed every Sunday by the feeling of family and feeling of oneness that has spread throughout our church.
So, I leave you with this...life is hard. It trips you up, knocks you down, and leaves you hanging out to dry. Now you can choose to sit in those situations, or pull yourself up, trust in the path that the Lord has placed you on, and always, always look for the good no matter that the situation. This is something that I making a conscious decision to change.
May God bless you today and always...
XO Abby
