i remember being about 15 or 16 years old, wanting to do something against my parents' will, and my case in the argument was "let me learn from my own mistakes!" i thought i was so smart.
teenage angst aside, there is something good about going through something bad.
the key is this: you have to go through something bad first. go through it. suffer. wonder. cry. fear. find your faith.
when you get through it, when it is all said and done, that is when the good stuff happens. there, on the other side of bad, is a brief window of opportunity that you can't deny. it's the opportunity to look back and learn from what just happened. analyze it. pray about it. learn from it. change from it. grow from it. thank God for it.
the best part about going through something bad is what can be learned from it. the great realization and revelation. learning from our own mistakes might be the best way to learn. even if it comes with pain, suffering, turmoil or tears. after a bad experience, there is a time of relief and thanksgiving. a strengthening of faith. secure your footing, shake it off, and move forward. confidently. if i can handle that, i can handle anything!
i believe everything happens for a reason. i also believe that i can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. so even in the midst of bad experiences, i know my mountain is just around the corner, where i will stand atop, even stronger, reflect, and sing praises to my God.
i am incredibly thankful for the bad experience we are looking back on. i probably won't even count it as "bad" when i look back, because from this view, so much good came out of it.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
-Psalm 23:5-6
-------------------------------------------
