The saying, “when one door closes, another opens” seems to be the most commonly used phrase when it comes to decision making or trying to explain why something went wrong. Sometimes a door closes and another one does not open again for a long, long time. Sometimes a door closes and another one simply never does opens.

We live in a “right now” society. We live in a “cop out” culture. Nothing is ever our fault and we can always find something or someone else to blame things on. We blame our circumstances, those around us, influences, etc. but how often do we stop and put the blame where it belongs? Sometimes it really is your own fault. We cannot just tap out every time we realize we have made a mistake, you have to own up to it.

If we are always tapping out, then how are we supposed to learn and become stronger individuals for it? Instead, the same mistakes are continuously repeated and history never truly becomes history.

I will be the first to say that I hate admitting that I am wrong. It makes me cringe to just think about it. My pride gets in the way and tells me it is never my fault, there is always some other reason for the mistake. However, I will also be the first to admit that I am incredibly flawed and make more mistakes than I can keep track of.

Swallowing our pride, owning up to our mistakes, and learning from them is all part of the journey to discovering who we are. We become complacent and content with where we are and who we are while at the same time wishing we could change. Complacency is never a good thing. It is important to be content with what we have, but we should always be striving to better ourselves. This does not necessarily mean earning a higher income, holding a better title, or owning more expensive things. While all of those things are great,  it is about bettering our inner selves. The idea of if you fill yourself with good, then you will pour good out is such an important concept. In Christianity, this rings true as the more you fill your heart and mind with the truths of God’s word and love, the more it will manifest itself within you and pour out onto others. The more of it you let in, the more it becomes you.

The same is to be said about the more bad you allow in, the more bad you expel. Toxic relationships, harmful actions, and the like all have lasting effects on your heart and the essence of who you are. The longer you allow those things to be a part of your life, the more damage will be done and the longer the recovery will take.

It is easier said than done, but constantly re-evaluating the people, things, and to do(s) in your life is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The journey called life is made up of complicated and difficult decisions. It is made up of happy times that give you reason to go on and it is made up of trying times that make you question whether it is all worth it. In the end, no matter what happens, life is A storm You can Weather.

Better yet, life is A storm You can Weather {with God by your side}.