Defining Moments

Each of us have instances, circumstances, days, weeks, months, thoughts, words, etc. that are "defining moments" in our lives. We don't necessarily know what they are ahead of time, and many times we don't know when they are (possibly even when they're happening), but they're out there - and they find and define each of us.

I feel as if lately my life has been surrounded by a lot of heartache. There have been too many loved ones of friends who have departed this world. There have been too many marriages of friends or friends of friends that have been broken apart because of infidelity. There have been lost jobs, unscheduled moves, and some things that don't really fit into a category, but are just sad.

All of this heartache makes me hurt - sometimes I literally feel like my heart is hurting. And then I look at my life in the here and now and realize how truly blessed I am. Here I am on the brink of a joyous occasion where I get to become the wife of my best friend. Here I am on the brink of having on of my other best friends (my sister) move a mile and a half away from my apartment. Here I am working at a great job which pays the bills and is in my field of study. Here I am with an amazing and supportive family. Here I am with a loving and caring and faithful Savior who loves me unconditionally and died for me.

Just when I start to become a little jaded by how my life is looking in the here and now, God draws me back to reality. When I think about the past five years of my life, it is a roller coaster of ups-and-downs. There's been sadness and rejoicing, pain and celebration, along with suffering and comfort. Each stage of life is rooted in easy and hard situations sprinkled with defining moments along the way - that's how God grows us.

I'm constantly reminded that I'm living in a fallen world that is full of sinful people (including myself).

A defining moment is a time that have an affect on your life that is lasting.

Thinking about defining moments makes me think about a quote from the Esther book that I'm reading:

If I had known beforehand what I would have had to walk through to receive the victory, I might have said, "NO THANKS!" and merely walked away, but God is more generous than to allow that. Sometimes, in this way, I can view my lack of information (lack of ability to judge my situation rightly) as a blessing in disguise...of course, there are are times (more often than I would like to admit!) when I allow that same lack of information to become a source of frustration. (pg. 41)

Sometimes we go through things or times when we feel like every decision we make is going to be life altering - and many times we're probably right. But isn't it so encouraging to know that even as we're worrying and fretting over what to to do or what choice to make, God already knows? There are moments that we can look back on that we know define our lives - but God is the author of our story.

When sadness or difficult circumstances surround you, remember that. God has written our story. He knows the decision we will make, how it will affect us, who else it might affect, how long it will affect us, He knows it all! May we learn to put our trust in Him each and every day and may remember that throughout all of eternity He is the one thing that unchanging - He is always good.

"Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." - C.S. Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe