Life Is Hard...

"Life is hard. It's harder when you're stupid" ~John Wayne

I heard this quote recently and thought about how I have, many times, made stupid decisions and every time, they have complicated things. I laughed when I first heard this and immediately thought of "other" people who maybe appeared to make stupid decisions...then I thought of myself {gasp}...

I find life so incredibly interesting. Just when you think things are going great and you are on the right path, something happens and things change and turn 180 degrees from where you think you were headed. This has happened to me over and over and over again...I guess that's what makes life interesting.

Brad and I went to a movie today. We decided to take a break for a few hours and drive down to Orem (about 25 min. away) and as we were driving down the canyon, I noticed that a few trees were starting to turn different colors...Provo Canyon is incredibly beautiful as it is, but when the leaves start to turn, it's breathtaking. I noticed that some of the leaves were bright orange, others were bright yellow and a few were a vibrant purple. I always look forward to Fall; it's one of my very favorite seasons and in Utah it's INCREDIBLE! The only problem with Fall is that Winter is right behind it...and it seems like Winter hangs around much longer than any other season...but I digress...

As I have been reflecting on how my life has taken some pretty sharp hairpin turns just within the last month, I thought about how maybe that's what helps us create balance in our lives. After all, nature takes sharp turns and seems to always maintain some semblance of balance. Things don't always turn out the way we expect or even hope. And maybe that, in and of itself, can create harmony.

So now that my "best-laid" plans have been undone. I can either freak out and fall apart or I can find ways to celebrate the good things in my life. Just like nature celebrates the beautiful changes and displays the magnificent colors of the dying leaves, which will inevitable fall and blow away, I have to find ways to celebrate the changes in my life. The dead leaves make room for the new ones. The tree grows taller and stronger and seems to flourish because of the loss.

I am SO incredibly blessed and have absolutely NOTHING to feel slighted about. I have an amazing life. My personal challenges and trials are a blessing. I have tried to adopt a thankful attitude realizing that the Lord must really love and trust me to allow me to be tried in whatever ways I have been and will be tried. He knows that I can overcome anything if I really want to. He also knows that I can become stronger if I have the right attitude.

Now, I'm not saying that I have mastered this...I'm FAR from it. But, I have come to the realization that that's just life. Pure and simple, life is a test. I personally feel that it's a testament of God's amazing love for each of us. He knows what we can handle and He knows what will break us. He is always there to pick up the slack and expects us to do ALL that we can (and maybe then some). I have found that He is always there...even when I'm going over the edge...that's when He helps me build a parachute!