Skip to main content

Moving Forward

'It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do'- Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

I have found my self as of late, while sat among my new friends, taking in the reality of where I am and how I got to be here. I want someone to pinch my arm. To ensure I am not in a dream, but rather reality.

Because in reality, this is not where I would have seen myself 10 years ago.  Let's be honest, even 5 years ago,  I would have found it hard to believe you, if you told me I would be where I am.

Dreams and plans have a funny way of not always coming to pass in the way in which we expect them too.
Each trial,broken friendship, disappointment and failure has this odd role in changing our direction in life. 


In the moment those things can seem to be the most unbelievably inconvenient
and devastating loss. It hits us from behind and causes us to loose our footing and question who we are and where God is leading us.

I never thought I would be able to say this. But here it goes.
I am so grateful for all the disappointments, broken friendships, seasons of uncertainty and the like.

Because if those things didn't happen, if just a single one of them played out differently, I would not be where I am. I would be not be experiencing the most amazing challenges and opportunities, meeting incredible people from all over the world. I would not be gaining wisdom and life experiences where I am pushed so far out of my comfort zone to gain maturity and be able to move forward in life.

It would have been easy to sit in the disappointments, to hold onto and live out the unkind words spoken to me, as though they were truth. For a time, I did. And it brought nothing good, I can assure you, it resulted in nothing but a life stuck in a rut of not moving forward.
Thank God for His grace and His mercies that are new every day. They are what has lead me to this place.

I am overwhelmed by the love and kindness I have been met with. I could not imagine my life without these people and their kindness, friendship, wisdom and love.



Us girls and the guys at Winter Wonderland 






An autumn afternoon walk 



Christmas is on it's way!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Changing Leaves

"I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end."   ~Jo March,  Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. A few years ago, I upgraded to a new-to-me, used iPhone.  The camera was better, the storage slightly larger for my obsessive hobby of taking photos of things that caught my eye during walks.  (Let me be honest, it happened far too often, but then again, it's who I am!) My friend's husband jokingly asked if it came with a photo album of leaves, or something along those lines. To his credit, it was a witty and hilarious joke that reflected a reality and truth, that all who were present knew very well... Sheena sure loved to post photos of leaves. I can't help it, my breath catches and I want to document the moment, the transition and to share it with others.  The difference between today and tomorrow is everything in this season.  So, I don't want to miss this moment, th...

Chucking things in a bin

In an attempt to be productive tonight, I found myself rummaging through boxes filled with collections from my teenage years I found it very interesting to look back and discover things kept that were once important to me. Items that held sentiment, dreams,goals and hope for the future, or memories of moments I never wanted to forget Tonight I found myself looking at these items through different lenses Chucking things in the bin became a overwhelming source of freedom Not everything, by any means, but certain things that no longer held value or use, found their way into the bin. Now if only I could be as decisive on my future... Where the road leads, I have no idea, but I am excited for what adventure is around the corner

An Open Letter to the Bride To Be...

Dearest Katie, I still remember when you were a little girl. If I came to say hello to you at recess, you would always greet me with a running hug. You were my little cousin. You wanted so badly to be our friend, but the years between us created a separation. What a privilege to be a volunteer youth leader when you started at Youth group. I watched you dream, aspire and achieve. You discovered your gifts, talents and things that excited your heart. Those were the years I saw you transform from a little girl into a beautiful young lady. A young lady who I grew to admire. Whose maturity, integrity, wisdom, love and generosity were well beyond her years. Eventually the chasm between us in age became less important and the shift happened. You went from ‘my little cousin’ to my friend. Friend. We dreamed. We laughed. We drove cars through the country roads and explored Ontario. You humoured my love for all things Jane Austen, which became a slow trickle that built a well ...