Happily Ever After

I was talking to Leonard last night and telling him how much I love our lives. I love our daughters, our granddaughter, our work, our friends . . . and, of course, him! It's as if we're living our very own "happily ever after". There is seriously nothing I would change!

Don't get me wrong . . . there ARE things that need to change. There are areas Leonard and I still need to grow in. There are never-ending projects that need to be taken care of in our house. There are attitudes to change and lessons to be learned. But I guess what I'm saying is none of that needs to change for me to live happily ever after.

I don't know for sure how or why this happened. Did God just bless us beyond our wildest dreams? Or have we just learned through life's lessons what's really important? I think it's a combination of both.

Although I do feel really blessed by God, it's kind of a touchy subject for me. I remember hearing some very financially successful people say, "This is nothing we have done... it's all God. He has just chosen to really bless us!" Now, they were giving God the glory for their success, as they should. But at the time, my whole world was falling apart so it was actually very discouraging to me. Why did God want to bless them, but not me? Did God not love me as much? Did He not trust me? It made me feel like something was very wrong with me.

Obviously, that's not the case. And I'm actually grateful now for every single moment of everything I've gone through. God has been so faithful to me. He has taught me something through every experience. He has brought me closer and closer to Himself. I know that our lives may not always be as perfect as they seem today. In fact, in this world the chances are pretty good that we will still have to go through some very hard and even traumatic times in one way or another. But I hope I have grown enough in my walk with Christ that I will still feel really blessed even through the most difficult of times.

I guess that's what I've learned. To stand up in front of people and say that because you have achieved financial success God has richly blessed you, is misleading at the very least. I want to stand up in front of people and say:

I have lived it all. I have been very poor, and I have had plenty. I have laughed, but I have cried. I've had times that I've struggled just to make it from day to day, and other times that life was pure joy. And this is what I know: God has blessed us. All of us. Even if you are going through the hardest times of your life, know that His blessings are on you. Open your heart to Him. Hear His tender voice as He is speaking to you. Absorb it all, because when these hard times are past (and they WILL pass) you will be closer to Him. You will be stronger and wiser and more refined. You will be more focused on the path He has chosen for you.

And you WILL live happily ever after.