I grew up being told that “everything happens for a reason”…

& I completely agreed!!

…before I grew up and understood the gravity behind the choices we make.

& how influential the people we surround ourselves with are.

& how there is a very real being praying for our downfall.

Through my own bending, changing, and growing… and developing the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father…

no.

I don’t believe that God plans for certain experiences in our lives to happen.

Especially the ones that hurt.

I am confident in the involvement that God has in our lives. I KNOW that He sees, He understands, and He empathizes with every single thing that happens…

but He is also a “hands-off” God in the sense that He allows us to choose.

He doesn’t force.

He doesn’t persuade.

He provides opportunity, and then prays that we take it and run with it.

He trusts us to do so <3

He is not a being that creates hurt, but He does allow it to happen, as learning experiences.

I have humbly learned that difference.

I think the most life-changing thing about His character is that even if we don’t choose Him and His hopes for us… He is still right there with open arms.

Because He is a God of second chances.

and third chances.

and fifth.

and one hundredth.

maybe even a million!

& I adore Him for that.

My reality has shifted an innumerable amount of times because of my own choices, and the choices of others.

& I will admit, a lot of the hard I have faced has solely been the consequences to my own actions.

It has sucked, but also, how grateful am I for each opportunity to learn <3

There’s a quote that I adore:

“For a moment I felt awe for a God who loved me enough to hate the things that hurt me, without hating me for causing them”

… and I’ve learned that that’s what this life revolves around- choices. Every single moment is influenced one way or another.

It’s what we do with the opportunities that we are given, that make the difference.

How we choose to respond.

How we evolve.

So no,

I don’t believe “everything happens for a reason”.

But I do believe that everything that happens is an opportunity… to either be beat down or become a more resilient soul.

I don’t know about you, but I choose the latter.

I choose peace.

I choose improvement.

I choose love.

I choose all of the good things!!

And how lucky I am to have the perfect example of all of these qualities.

Someone to look up to, learn from, and who is patient with me through all of my shortcomings.

…I choose Him.

I choose my Savior.

The one who turns all of my hurt into purpose.

All of my pain into peace.

How special is it to be loved so dearly.

How cool is it that He loves you the same🤍

Xoxo, Lil