When Trails Come...

God is good, and I think we need to put our focus back on Him. If He is not our focus, then we will end up spiraling in a downward motion towards a black whole of depression and despair. With God, there is hope. There's more than this world has to offer.

Here's an example;

A couple of days ago, I was feeling the tension and strain of ordinary life, so I decided to take a walk.
I walked out back, past the marking of our property line, knowing that there was an empty field back there. Once there I felt so free, God felt close again he was my focus. Well it was starting to get dark, and I knew I had to get back. So, I walked through that familiar path back into the woods. I rememberd that I needed to be able to see my house, in order to get to it. So focusing on a house, I started to walk. The only problem was, the woods no longer seemed familiar, and the barking of dogs seemed closer than they where supposed to be. I looked back up. The problem was, I had focused on the wrong house. I was now 3 lots down from where I was supposed to be.

My point is, if we focus on the wrong thing, guess what? We'll get to the wrong thing.
So I stood in the woods and refocused on the right house. I got to my house once I focused on the right one.

So, using this logic, if your discouraged about something, depressed about someone having more than you, or feeling in adaquate, remember:

1.) God loves you.
I know that's an old thing to say, especially if your a church kid. 'Duh, God loves me, he's God, he kinda has to.' But not only does God LOVE you, he LIKES you too. You think your a loser? Guess what, you are. Without God you're a loser, that's the truth. But through the blood of Jesus Christ (Who, by the way, Loves you SO much that he DIED for you) God sees not who you are-- but who you can become.

2.) Re-focus on Christ.
It's funny, the apostle Paul is always talking about an inner peace-one that doesn't make sense- and an everlasting joy. I don't know if this is just me, but I'm not always feeling joyful, content, and peaceful. Let's face it; Life is hard. That's the raw truth. God never promised it to be easy. In fact, God told us that if you trusted him, it'd get harder. (John 16:1-3) But through personal experience, I can truthfully tell you, that God does supply peace, and joy. Even in the most rough cirrcomstances. The problem comes when we don't USE the peace and joy He supplies.

It's not easy to focus on God when there are hurting people around you, when there are storms and problems that you feel alone in. But if, in the midst of the wild ride and chaos we call "life"; we quiet our hearts (Meaning you tell yourself:"Hey shut-up thoughts! Listen for a second!") and put our eyes on the One in control of the storm, you'll feel a peace that passes all understanding. (A way too commonly used phrase, but I've just learned what it actually means. The peace won't make sense, it doesn't have to. God's bigger than the storm and he can calm you, and the storm. But sometimes he just calms us and lets the storm rage on)

3.) Everyone is struggling with something, be nicer to others than neccisary.

Divorces, Deppresion, Anxiety, Pain, Suffering... it's all part of this sin-cursed world. That's just the way things are. But even in the midst of your trials, if you can set aside your troubles, and look out for someone else, you'll find that your trial doesn't seem like much of a problem anymore. In that moment, the other person's feelings, and emotions will be more important than what your going through---
Now, I can hear you saying to me, "But, I'm the one who needs the encouragment though!!"
Think about it; If everyone was focusing on what they needed, there'd be no one to encourage someone else.
God'll supply your needs, you gotta trust him for that. It's hard. Again, life isn't the happy sun-kissed world we pretend it to be. But God can make your life a little easier, if you allow him to make it "Son-Kissed".(Meaning that your focus is primarily on Christ, and what he did for you on the cross, and how much you actually mean to him.)

Focus on Christ, the trials won't cease, the pain won't stop. But you've got a God who loves you, and knows what He's doing. Keep watching Him, and run the race till the end.