Hey Friends,
How are you guys? If I’m being honest I’ve really missed writing to y’all! I hope you guys are having a great day and that your day isn’t presented with too many challenges. Are you guys taking care of yourselves? Are you eating and drinking enough water? I know that for some people like me we love the fall but I know for others it brings sadness because we’ll be experiencing darker and gloomy days. I hope you’re staying warm on this crisp day and keeping cool if you live in a hotter part of the world. Grab your favorite drink, switch into some comfy clothes (if you’re at home) and let’s talk for a bit.
I knew I wanted to talk about a certain topic today but I wasn’t sure how I was going to go about it when I read a quote that really put my thoughts into perspective. It says; “I have resolved to live, not just endure, each season of my life.”
Resolved: adjective
- firmly determined to do something.
Endure: verb
- 1.
suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently.
“it seemed impossible that anyone could endure such pain” - Similar: undergo, go through, live through, experience, encounter, cope with, deal with, face, face up to, handle, suffer, tolerate, put up with, brave, bear, withstand, sustain, become reconciled to, reconcile oneself to, become resigned to, get used to, become accustomed to, learn to live with, make the best of, go along with, submit to, accept, support,
When I read this quote it impacted me because it aligns with everything I have been experiencing. There is so much I want to share and testify with you guys but I know there will be a time and a place where I will get to do that. Today I want to speak to you guys about learning to appreciate every season in your life.
I’m going to be completely honest there were so many seasons that I didn’t appreciate, that I wished they were over as soon as they began. Seasons where I felt like I was just trying to endure them and not living them. I shared the definitions of Resolved and Endure because sometimes we need a reminder that to be able to overcome many obstacles in our life we need to be determined to make the best of them. We need to decide whether we will fight against the current or let it take us wherever it wants; whether we will sink or float.
“To live not just endure”; this phrase called out to me because there are people who just go through life enduring it not living it. To me that means that they just accept what is thrown their way, some go through trauma and hardships and let whatever happens to them determine how miserable they are or will become. You know which types I’m talking about right? The “Glass is always half empty” type. Now by no means do I mean to disregard any of you that may feel that way because life just keeps knocking you down and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But what I don’t want is for you to use what lifes thrown at you as an excuse to live miserably and make others miserable because at the end of the day you can decide if whatever you’re going through is going to make you or break you. Maybe you’re wondering how you can see any good in life if all you’ve seen is bad but something my mom always says is “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
There were plenty of seasons in my life where I was angry, frustrated, ready to give up, hurt, betrayed, confused, and felt lost. So what I’m not going to do is come on here and pretend like I know what you’ve gone through, are going through, and feeling because I can’t. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to walk a mile in your shoes but what I want to challenge you to do is to look through my lens for a moment.
I may see the worst things in life and people but I choose to try to see the good. I said try because y’all I’m not perfect, I get mad and aggravated with people. Sometimes I can’t even stand them and before you gasp and judge me and say “how can you possibly say that” understand that I am human myself. As happy and jolly I may be, I’m not as extroverted as people may think. I mentioned this prior that as bubbly and outgoing as I may seem it depends on the person/group and how much percentage is left on my social battery. For those that don’t know me as well, they always seem to think that I love being on the go, always doing something, but honestly my favorite thing to do is to lounge around in my pjs and be alone. I love to just be in my room door closed and alone with God and my thoughts. Trust me, sometimes the best company you can have is yourself.
I know I know I’m mumbling aren’t I? Anywho even though I can get mad, upset, angry and question so many things I always try to see things from others perspectives. Maybe that person who was rude to you this morning doesn’t think highly of themselves. Maybe that person bullying you is being bullied themselves. We can not control how people are feeling or reacting to their seasons but we can definitely control our emotions and how we choose to act in ours.
Your season may be filled with drought, maybe you’re not seeing that raise or promotion you know you deserve at work. Maybe you’re not where you thought you would be at this age and you’re wondering what’s wrong with you and why other people’s grass looks so green. I know it seems like life is giving you rotten lemons that you can’t even use for lemonade but what if we just keep holding on? What if we continue to hope for a better day? What if we wait and trust in the Lord?
I am currently living in a season of answered prayers, prayers that I made so many years ago I almost forgot I made them. A season that has made me extremely grateful for my previous ones. Where I can see how God has moved in every moment of my life to get me here. Where I am thankful to God for even the bad ones because they made me stronger to handle whatever comes my way now. I saw a tiktok the other day where a woman was saying something along the lines of “If you knew that you would get an amazing job after being fired 10 times wouldn’t you be excited every time you got fired because you knew you were closer to getting an amazing job.” Now if I tell you what if God said you need to go through 8 awful seasons first before going though your best season yet wouldn’t you be willing to live and endure them knowing that what you waited for most was on its way? I for one am so grateful that through all of this God has shown me it is possible to go through a storm and find rest. To feel anger and find peace, to feel sadness and experience joy. Just because you are going through a rough patch and disappointment doesn’t mean you can’t overcome it and receive a blessing in the midst of it. He never promised us it would be easy but He does promise to always be with us.
Whatever you may be experiencing, feeling, or trying to overcome I hope that you know that you are not defined by your mistakes, your trauma, or your disappointments. Do not let guilt win, it is okay for you to choose love, peace, and joy. It is okay to Live.
I leave you with these bible verses found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV
[A Time for Everything]
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
Until our next unpacking, have a great day my lovelies!
Love Always,
Janny Mari
One Day at A Time with Janny Mari 