Four months ago, I got a thoughtful Facebook message from someone I had never met. Now there’s only two months separating us from grabbing coffee in person. Today’s post is written by sweet Katie of A Thousand Little Choices – author of that Facebook message. Turns out she hails from Coeur d’Alene and is family to the worship pastor at our church. World’s collide. I love having her heartfelt voice on Primitive Roads!
Our various experiences are meant by our Heavenly Father to furnish fresh viewpoints from which we may see the loveliness of Jesus.
Charles Spurgeon
Has your heart been troubled lately? Have you been plagued by blustery seasons? In the midst of them have you wondered and asked the question, “why?” “Why, God, why would you let this season of life plague me now?”
You’re not alone if you’re asking such questions.
I have had many outpourings of my soul during difficult times. I wondered what my King was thinking while I cried each night during my years and years of singleness. I had struggles in college and after graduation, when my family was being torn apart and even now, a difficult season is on the horizon. Though I hate to admit this, I often asked the question “why, God?” A normal question, but unfortunately my heart had the wrong glasses on.
In the midst of asking “why” and beating our heads and hearts against the waves of pain, we often lack seeing the many details that come with unwanted seasons. What if I told you they are love stories? The times of tempestuous storms are all stories written in love. What would you say then?
I laughed at first, but then beautiful Emily told me her two words this year were community and intentional. I love those words and my heart started praying for ways to incorporate them in my own life. Community, thats a tough one being a transplant in Philadelphia, but Intentional captured my soul. I sat down and started writing all the ways I could be intentional in my life. Unfortunately, with our move (you can read about it here) and lack of community, I couldn’t come up with much. Then it hit me. This current state, this unwanted season, it is much more.
When we start to look at God in all that is happening around us, you see how intentional and loving He is. For years, I’ve known that He has been writing my life, chapter by chapter. Now, I’m not facing trials – no, life trials are really intentional love stories, written by a Great Author.
This is the first unwanted season of my life that I have looked at differently. I finally see that God knows exactly what I am dealing with. Though our eyes are misty and our souls are tired, we can rest in the intentional loves stories of life. Time is never wasted, experiences are never forgotten, and God has walked the path of this story before. He hears your hearts cry. He is constantly there with you, and you shall never walk alone.
He has been the Author this whole time, writing gorgeous stories with courageous characters and the most beautiful of settings. Think about the last time your tempestuous season came. You might have thought, “I can’t do this anymore”, but look at you now, getting ready to face the hardest moments in life. He thought you were strong enough, brave enough and courageous enough to face them.
With His writing, love, and grace, we can get through the storms that are soon to come. I hope you can turn them around and look at them as great, passionate, intentional stories of love.
Oh child of God! If you could only see your sorrows and troubles from the other side; if instead of looking up at them from earth, you would look down on them from the heavenly places where you sit with Christ; if you knew how they are reflecting in prismatic beauty before the gaze of heaven, the bright light of Christ’s face, you would be content that they should cast their deep shadows over mountain slopes of existence.
Selected
Katie Sjogren is a twenty-something living in Philadelphia, PA with her sweet husband Jordan. Katie is an avid choice maker, Starbucks consumer, chunky sweater wearer, blustery weather lover, and deep conversation maker. You can read more about Katie & Jordan’s life on her blog, A Thousand Little Choices, where they choose joy, follow Christ and live fearlessly for love.
(photo credit–Pamela Moore, Getty Images)
Emily C Gardner 
I love this, Katie. Thanks for sharing it, Em. What a neat way to look at difficult seasons and times in our life… as love stories written by God for us. God is so intentional, and His ways are so much better than ours. I can honestly say, in hindsight, that I can see how God has used difficult times in my life to draw me closer to Him, resulting in a deeper love for Him and a greater desire to know Him. You’re right… it’s like a love story. Now, I can thank Him that He loved me enough to allow me to go through certain things so I can know Him and love Him more. Thanks girls for sharing your hearts and your thoughts to spur me on to continued spiritual growth.
Thank you for comment Sally! I love that you said “I can now thank Him for the trials” It takes a strong person grounded in the Lord to thank Him for the tough seasons. You’re so wise and I fully agree that He takes us through these hard times because of such a great love!
Thanks for posting Katie. It reminds me of a quote by Charles Swindoll and I found it and will copy and paste it here… “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
If we see all that happens to us as a love story in writing… then we can trust God through the difficulties and know that His perfect plan… with peace, joy and love await on the other side – be it experienced here on earth or in eternity. Without the trust in God’s Love… we internalize our pain which often leads to blame, shame and bitterness – driving a wedge between ourselves and others… and unfortunately ourselves and God. Last thought… It is important to realize that much of life we do not and will not understand in the here and now… and that is OK – there is a mystery to understanding our God and that is a good thing and we have Heaven to look forward to where the mysteries will be revealed!