Blessed Bad Things

Did you parents ever spell things out for you? I remember being a kid encompassed in frustration when my parents wanted to have a conversation not involving me, and would start spelling out words. Having not quite grasped the concept of phonics, I remember not being able to put together the pieces when they would start spelling out words like "B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y P-R-E-S-E-N-T". One day when I grew out of my juvenile stage and could tackle words larger than "D-O-G", I would be able to be apart of the parent-protected conversation.

Now that I am older, I miss the ignorance that comes along with being a kid. As a child, you're left out of the conversations about grief, cancer, wars, politics, divorce, tragedies, death, and the evil in the world. You're shielded behind parental controls blocking the news on TV and left outside of the door when the harder conversations are happening. When you grow up, you become exposed to the harsh realities that come along with this life.

While some people are forced to grow up quicker than others, the reality is, everyone will face a variety of tragedies in different shapes and sizes during their life. Whether you fight Alzheimer's when you're older or a learning disability when you're younger, everyone fights their own battle during different periods of time. I've had my fair share of "bad things" happen in my life. Not only that, but I've now been apart of the harder conversations, witnessing devastation and trials faced by the people around me.

Trials are inevitable.. but I guarantee that one day God will place someone in your life that will need your testimony. I also guarantee that someone out there has persevered through the same battle.

When I was a freshman in college, I joined a sorority to help get engaged in a community. My father was recently diagnosed with cancer before arriving to school in the fall, so I wanted to be surrounded by loving girls who I could build relationships with that would take notice of my situation. Upon becoming engaged in the sorority, I was welcomed in friendship by a girl whose dad had passed away from the same type of cancer. She quickly became my go-to when I was having a bad day and dealing with heartache that other students might not understand. She knew where I was coming from. She had experienced my same emotions. She had felt the stress, fear, and sadness I carried with me. She supported me, comforted me, encouraged my faith, and let me be raw. Looking back now, it was such a comfort to realize that I was not alone - someone my age understood. Having the contact helped me get through something as simple as a Tuesday.

Flash forward following college graduation, I received a message on Facebook from a freshman classmate informing me that his father was battling the same type of cancer my dad had. He questioned me about my faith, my strength, and how I mentally dealt with the emotions that came along with it all. Although we had never hung out and spoken more than about assignments, he reached out to me because he saw my vulnerability in my posts on social media. We exchanged long conversations about the future, cherishing the memories, facing doubts in faith, and how impactful an empty table setting could be. I found myself being so incredibly thankful for my experience and ability to return the support I once had been given. If I had never gone through the tragedy I did, I would not have been able to be relatable or as genuine with my responses.

Bad things can be blessings. It seems like a weird sentence to write... and I'm sure it seems weird to read.

If you've had an experience of losing a child, you might one day be able to comfort another grieving mother. If you've encounter losing a loved one, you can help others find comfort in your faith and experience through the situation. If you've been in a financial crisis, you can guide others by sharing your experience of getting back on your feet. If you've been a victim of abuse, you can be a voice to others how to remove themselves from the situation. If you've ever had to forgive someone, you can help others release some of their anger.

I love being able to talk to others about their testimony. I love being able to stand on a leg of experience to become one-step closer in understanding what someone is going through. I love seeing the "God Sightings" of people I meet who have encountered comparable experiences, no matter if they're good or bad.

Our purpose on this earth is to love each other.. Even your bad experiences can help you do that. You never know when your vulnerability is going to be a blessing to someone else. I encourage you to see the good, be the good, and pray for continued good.

James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."