Live By Faith.

To live by Faith is not easy... that's not what I'm trying to tell you... but what I will tell you is , as hard as it is to live by faith, it is absolutely necessary for me. My faith is what makes my journey possible. If I simply wandered blindly I'd be angry about all the things that made life unfair for me, my family and my friends and life would be miserable. Instead, I am able to turn to the light of Christ for comfort and hope. 

My guess is you are thinking that living by faith is going forth blindly... Some people think having faith is being blinded, but my faith allows me to see. I can see that even through trials and hard times I am learning and growing, and someday I will look back and find connections that make me grateful for those difficult experiences. Hindsight is 20/20 and God has the luxury of seeing from there. We have to have faith that what He sees is good for us. 

One of my favorite quotes is from the Christmas movie The Santa Claus. When they are at the north pole and Scott Calvin is talking to one of the elves about how even though he is there and seeing everything he can't believe it. She explains to him that "Seeing isn't Believing, Believing is Seeing." Through the power of my faith, I can see so much better.

We also have to have faith in ourselves. One of the greatest gifts God blessed us with is our free agency, the ability to make our own decisions. We have to have faith that God gave us that gift because he believes in us and our ability to make good choices. I know if I have faith and heed his counsel the right consequences will follow.

I'm not going to sugar-coat it or make it fluffy: Life is hard, that is the truth. If it was easy, then we would have no purpose in being here. What would be the point? Life is a long line of lessons, and the lessons are grueling and painful much of the time. I thank the Lord that I can find strength through Faith in God and my Savior. Otherwise it would be unbearable as I watched my loved ones endure heartbreak and trials. 

I'm not trying to pretend I'm an expert or that my faith is perfect. I'm not. I'm just trying to remind myself of what i know, and sharing it. I have to remind myself all the time, because I break down. I hate seeing my family hurt and endure trial after trial when I just think they deserve all the happiness in the world.  I cry and ask God, "WHY?!" and say "THIS ISN'T FAIR!" because I'm human and I break.