I saw this on a friend’s shirt and thought that it captured the essence of life. What we go through is not meant for us to keep stifled within ourselves. It is possible that what we go through is not necessarily for us but for a woman in our path that we may have an opportunity to minister. I stopped to think about how we become better because of the lessons we learn through our times of trials. I also pondered the point of what if we learn nothing: therefore, we don’t grow. Hmm…..
There is a story or stories that lie within each of us. Stories of abandonment, abuse, financial woes (poverty), failed relationships, broken hearts, infidelity, divorce, abortion, loss of a child, feelings of unworthiness, physical inflictions, and rough childhoods. The list is infinite. If any of these scenarios pertain to you, have you shared them with someone? Have you allowed your story to be used to minister to another woman? Our journeys are not meant to serve our purpose. According to a dear friend, there is not a reason for us to go through life or life’s journeys alone.
The shirt logo states grow through what you go through because there are many lessons to be learned. There is an adage that history tends to repeat itself. We see it in fashion, music, politics, etc. Some history repeats itself in our habits, but there are some lessons that should only need to be learned once. If the lesson is not learned and the suffering continues to occur, then don’t we have to stop and question what we have not learned. What stops us from doing what is right? Ask yourself why you keep repeating the same habits and fail to repent. Some lessons may be learned, but environment, situations, and emotional and physical distress may cause us to be in a situation a little longer. But when we get through it, what a testimony we have that will benefit someone else.
Do you find that you have a friend who always attracts the wrong kind of man? Knowing the lesson that should have been learned from the first relationship, why does she get out of this situation only to enter into another relationship with the same kind of man. The cycle continues. What about the friend who continues to make the same mistakes in spending money? What about the friend who turns everything into a competition and has to win even if the game is as simple as checkers? Let us not forget the friend who thinks that everything is about her. What about you? Do you allow a “friend” to constantly use you and take you for granted? Do you constantly make excuses for a friend’s bad behavior? Do you covet what others have or go after what is not meant for you? Yes, this includes other’s mates. At some point, we need to stop and take responsibility for our actions, but we must have a desire to change our situation and learn in these moments of difficulty.
Reflect on the person you once were. Look at the person that you have become today? When you think about your life, did you suffer from image issues, feelings of worthlessness, fear, rejection, or not belonging? Do you look back and can hardly believe the difference in the person you are today. Remember that your story may be the catalyst for another sister’s healing process or a stranger’s renewal in hope. You have not walked into these valleys and incurred your greatest obstacles only to come out and leave them buried. You have not achieved the hike to the peak of the mountain and dipped into the lows of the valley without insight into a clearer vision for a woman who is experiencing the same thing.
You see, growing through what you go through is not limited or meant just for you. The sharing of your growth journey allows another person to grow because we are not here to be alone or to be silent suffers. Authenticity and vulnerability after going through some of life’s challenges allows you to learn and grow from your experiences.
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