This is one of my favorite quotes recently because it has a real, personal meaning. For anyone who has been reading my writing since I started this blog in 2013, you can probably tell the difference in my attitude based on my writing alone. While I was a generally happy person, as I try to be, I had a lot of angst and I did a bunch of pretty stupid stuff. Stuff that would probably make my dad embarrassed and my mother scold me. I was raised pretty well, I’m not gonna lie, but I hit college and bam did I want to rebel. I didn’t go totally off the deep end but I went far enough. Reflecting on where I am now, yeah, I would definitely have made some different choices, probably a lot of them, I hurt some people I cared about pretty badly. I only really regret a thing or two though. Because those experiences made me exactly who I am today. And I like this young woman I’ve become.
I’m relatable. I’ve been broken and I have broken others. I’ve given in to peer pressure and I have stood up for what was right. I have been let down and I have let others down as well. I am a human. And like my first post on this 31 days of Inspiration Challenge, I am determined to use those experiences to help and strengthen others.
There are some days though that I am still almost brought to my knees or I choke up because of the memories. When I get really sad, I can’t help but think that if I stuck to God’s path and really embraced it, that I would be where I always wanted to be right now. Instead, I’m where I am, waiting on time.
I think what hurt the most was when my father said that he hadn’t come to Iowa in 4 years because he was disappointed in me. Julie and Chelsea reminded me of all the progress I had made and noted how far I have come. And I have. And in Jehovah’s eyes, it doesn’t really matter where I was because I’m on the correct path now. And as long as I’m happy with who I’ve become (which I am) that’s really all that matters, because the only person who has to live my life and with everything I’ve done is me.
xoxo