Day Five of Thanksgiving

Life is not always easy, and I don't always have amazing days. In fact, I've had, and currently have, many struggles in life. At the same time, my smile is rarely a fake one, and I don't hide my sorrows behind a smile. My smile is almost always a very legitimate one, because I always try to keep God in mind. I know that He is always with me, even in times of great trials, so I am never alone in my struggles. His love for me is so incredible and great, and it can be so hard to be upset when you think about that!

Truthfully, I think that challenges and obstacles in life are good for us. It may seem terrible while we face them, but in the long run, we become stronger people. We learn from every experience that we have, good or bad, and can use that knowledge in future events. I have definitely come to appreciate this!

My high school years were by no means easy. I had a very difficult course load, challenging me academically, and I was very involved in extracurricular activities and a job. I also had (as many high school girls have) many instances of friend drama. I was not always necessarily directly involved in the drama, as I am definitely not a dramatic person, but I often became a mediator between friends. I also had quite a few personal struggles, such as figuring out what to do with my faith. I definitely was not close with God during high school, and it made for four years with a lot of unhappiness and uncertainty. My relationships with friends, a boyfriend, and even with my family were definitely unhealthy at times because of this.

All of these struggles ended up helping me though! I now am a much stronger student, and I have learned how to manage my time more effectively. I also have a lot more "real-world experience" than many college students from my job, conferences, networking with working adults and other learning opportunities I have had. More importantly though, I have learned how difficult life is without God, and how wonderful it is when you have a relationship with Him. Since I began trusting my life to Him more, my relationships with people have become so much healthier and stronger, and I am a much happier person overall. I have also had so many more opportunities open up to me in the past year than ever had before, and I am more convinced than ever that God has an amazing plan for my life!

So, for me, struggle leads to more experience, which has had a huge impact on my life! I cannot wait to see what obstacles God has in store for my future, and how that can open up new opportunities for me!