When The Fates Step In...

When the Fates step in, they can bring many things our way...beauty, joy, sadness, death or a mixture of emotions for that matter.  We may feel she has not been fair to us, given us the short end of the stick or maybe we are left standing on green pastures rather than infertile land. Maybe they bring goodness and kindness our way today rather than the fear and worry of yesterday. Either way, if we are relying on the Fate alone to chart our path, then we are gambling with our lives and with our joy, happiness and the inner peace we find in knowing our lives are in God’s hands.

Now does this mean we are always happy where God is leading us or some kind of angelic peace takes over the worry our lives create? Nope, not at all, life is tough. No one is given an easy road even if they are born into what appears to the outside world as perfect. Money, material things and beauty are not the answer nor are they the key to finding happiness.

Happiness, true happiness comes from another place, a deeper, sometimes darker place we don’t like to enter. Sometimes, we have to lose it all, feel the cold on our face to feel the warmth inside our heart burn.  Happiness is not a place; you cannot set your sails in a set direction and expect to find her there. No happiness is a way of life, a way of looking past the harsh circumstances surrounding our lives and still finding a reason to smile.

Is this an easy thing to do? Oh no, it is most certainly not! I know because I often have to remind myself to stop daydreaming about the what if’s.  I am not always thrilled with how my day has turned out or even how my year has gone BUT when I stop, take a moment to look at the love, the hope and the joy not only surrounding my life, but actively partaking in my daily living I realize how blessed I truly am.

Yes cancer has taken a toll on us.  The beast has grabbed us by our throats and squeezed as tightly as possible.  She has striped us of many things including the certainty of the future we thought we had ahead of us. Yet, this has not been such a rotten deal in all because what fate has allowed, God has used for the good. I am a blessed today to say I am a breast cancer survivor. I am alive, I have today, I have my family, and friends who stand beside me, a home, not just a house, and a life I was never guaranteed. Seriously friends if tomorrow does not come my way, if I did not wake to another day, I would meet my God, not fate, embracing His peace knowing I have lived in the fullness of His grace.

Yes when the Fates step in our lives are typically turned upside down, but with a little faith, hope and contentment our lives can turn around in ways we never knew possible. So my friends, when times get tough, when life seems to pull you along a bumpy road, when you wade through the mud, the muck or high waters know this: You are not alone! Yes the Fates may be weaving their threads, ready to cut what appears to be your life line, making every part of your life appear lost on the surface. You may feel hopeless but  if you can step back, look a little further in the distance and let your heart burn strong, stroking  the fire within your spirit and allow God’s grace to engulf your soul, you will find a personal peace like none else. 

~Christina