{photo credit}

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 2:2-4

It's interesting for me to see how God has worked in my life over the past year. This week I was fully prepared to have an emotionally challenging week. A week of second guessing, filled with confusion, more or a less a dark cloud that I, in all honesty, just didn't want to deal with. The past months, this has been my prayer request, whenever people would ask me what I needed prayer for- the strength and grace to deal with the next round of obstacles- was often my response.  I share this because a year ago, I was at the darkest place I'd ever been in my life. I didn't know what to do, what to say, who I was, what was going on. For lack of a better word, I was lost.  

A year later (and yes dad's are always right) I'm in the exact opposite place that I was less than a year ago. God has completely changed everything about my life. I've been so blessed and filled with so much hope this week. In many ways I feel like a little child on Christmas morning, so excited to see how God continues to work in my life, so excited about not only the overly amazing people he's blessed me with, but moreover the excitement of where he's taking me. The excitement of getting to know people deeper, their challenges, their struggles, their hopes and dreams.  This week I learned that there good people, {and good men} who have been in my same situation. We can't choose what others do to us, but we can choose how we handle a trial, we can choose who we turn to in the midst of that trial. I chose to turn back to God and I've never felt my heart changed more than it has felt this week.

Ironically, this week of all weeks.