Do you ever find yourself sitting in work wishing away your days until it’s Friday again because you “totally live for the weekend’?
Or like I used to, do you find yourself feeling like you make absolutely no difference to anyone or anything in work, so the weekends are the only time you feel like yourself?
Or do you hope and pray for a ‘stroke of luck’ to change your situation as quick as the click of a button, and dream about all the nice things you could do and changes you would make in an ‘if only’ dream?
Or have you spoken to people who say “I’m living each day like it’s my last”, when they aren’t “living” at all. Rather they are taking silly risks, heading down a road strewn with addiction, struggling with mental ill-health or just “getting through” life.
I’m sure you’ll know someone just like that, or maybe you are that person. I’ve been that person on so many occasions. Thinking back to a few years ago, I remember finding that I would often get so easily caught up in unrealistic optimism that life was “magically going to get better” without me changing anything. On the other hand I was brought back to earth with a bang by overwhelming pessimism that we should all just accept our fate and do what we are good at, rather than what we are destined for.
Living life in this world is not always easy, regardless of what you do or don’t believe.
We all have brilliant days, bad days, mediocre days and horrendous days and sometimes it’s easy to think that other people just get “dealt a better hand”. But this isn’t necessarily the case! Before I became a Christian I often thought that “living each day like it’s your last” was such a great way to think about the days that we have on this earth, because everyone knows just how short time is! But have you wondered if the people who say these things are actually “living” to begin with? True living isn’t just as simple as its definition on paper, it’s SO much more!
Four years ago I made the biggest and most significant decision of my life. It was a decision that I was nervous about making but one hundred percent confident that it would change my life forever. I wasn’t far wrong. Not many decisions in life can do that, in fact only this one truly can. I decided to become a Christian and I placed my faith in God for every aspect of my life.
Over those four years I’ve seen God’s hand in every decision I’ve made, every step I’ve taken, every bad day, every good day, every “i want to give up” day, every “is this even worth it?” day, every “I’m not qualified” day and every “I’m not worth it or liked” day.
I’ve seen God’s hand on my wedding day, I’ve seen God’s hand on our honeymoon – that we planned with £0.00 in the bank but that was fully financially covered to the penny. I’ve seen God’s hand on the day we moved into our first home, twenty miles away from my family and with insufficient funds for a deposit prior to making an offer, but with more than enough when the offer was accepted. I’ve seen God place the right people in my life, at the right time when I needed support and someone to talk to. I’ve seen God carry me when I was struggling with my health and I’ve seen God give me strength to share how my tests transformed into my testimony. I’ve seen God’s hand in improving my confidence and love of who I am, and most importantly I’ve felt God’s mighty love for me in all that I do.
Over the past four years I’ve learnt so many important lessons, but mostly that we ALL have a purpose, we are all loved, we can all be used for something much greater than ourselves. We are all accepted by God and Jesus died so that we can all be set free to live an abundant life!
Contrasting the past four years to living the previous twenty three years without trusting God, I can confidently say that “if only” dreams on our own “luck” do not happen, but trusting God and accepting Him as your saviour will change your life forever! So what’s holding you back? Take the step into all that God has for you, don’t second guess what other people might think of the decision you’ve made, run towards the plan God has for your future, with all your strength and all your love and know that God will bless you all the days of your life.
Natasha
