Two people. Two friends. Two paths of life. They start out with similar interests, similar activities and similar backgrounds. Each strive for the same skills with sports, friends, school, and fun. As time goes on and their childhood fades away, their paths diverge into two different ones but they are still taking steps toward the same goals. One person finds a smooth path without any obstacles. There are no rocks to hit, no thorns to cut and no branches and vines to trip upon and cause injury. The other has more of a rocky path. The rocky path holds surprises that were unexpected as they have to deal with adversity from rocks thrown at them, tragedies that caused sadness and cut like thorns and challenges that tried to trip them from the path that they knew God had picked for them.
The one on the smooth path seemed to have everything easy, received flowers of accolades along the way and seemed to sail down the path without effort. The one on the rocky path had to learn to overcome struggle, fighting through them and became stronger with each challenge thrown their way. As the paths joined again and they began to enter the adulthood of their life, they both still had the same skills and similar goals. But which one do you think is more prepared for life? Which one will be more ready to handle challenges of the continuing path of adulthood? The one who never faced adversity or the one who learned how to deal with it?
Life isn’t always going to be easy and those times when you are struggling and facing the thorns in the bushes and the rocks in your path are the times when you will become stronger. Don’t give up. Keep taking steps on the path and keep your head up and not focused on what might cause you to stumble. God is always faithful to give you strength. Winter doesn’t last forever and the new life of spring is always what comes next.
Faith Created Simple 