New Roads, New Rivers // We're Gonna Make It

It's been a while since I last spilled my raw thoughts into a blog post so I thought it was about time I did again. In all honesty, I haven't been doing that great lately (which is why I haven't written a post like this in a while), but then I thought about it some more and decided that the not-so-perfect parts of life will come and they will go, and they are just as important as the rest. It's in these down days that we are tested, and from that comes strength, growth, and the ability to rise again. Recently I came to a crossroads in my life. A moment where I could choose to stay stagnant (and ultimately go downhill) or I could choose to do something that scares me greatly, but will actually do me a world of good. I chose the latter. Seeing a psychologist is a topic that is not spoken about all too often. People tend to brush over it, or simply won't even mention it at all. I suppose even I am a little hesitant to bring up the subject sometimes. I think it's because it can be a scary thing, and not something that we feel great sharing. It's admitting that you need help, and that makes you vulnerable. I haven't been to a session yet, but I've got one booked in, and I feel like good things will come of it. 

Earlier on this year someone told me that this will really be my year of stepping into all things great. Little did I know they also said that I would have to work for it, it wouldn't just fall into my lap (and I wasn't told that at the time). Once I booked in my session my mum told me the rest of what was said. She mentioned that perhaps me starting this journey was me working for it. If so, bring on all things great! Another area of work and growth relates to my purpose in life. Right now I honestly have no idea what it is. However, I have started to read a book written by a pastor named Rick Warren called The Purpose-Driven Life. While I'm only on day five, I already know that things are changing. It's a 40 day study and I cannot wait to see where I am in 40 days time. 

Writing all this down feels a little uncomfortable, but I'm doing so in the hope that it might help someone out there reading it. I have felt so lost and confused and sad lately, but I'm not sitting in that pit of despair any longer. I'm being proactive in making a change. I don't know what your change looks like, but I urge you to pluck up the courage and make it. Surely it'll be better than staying where you are. "A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there". With that in mind, I'm waving goodbye to certain 'comforts' and moving towards a better me instead. I'm calling this year the one where I work on myself. I've neglected certain things for so long, and it's unhealthy, and about time I just dealt with it. I'm cancelling my pity party and getting ready to celebrate for real instead. I don't know what this year will bring, but I'm believing it can only go upwards from here. At my church we're calling this the year of new roads, new rivers. I can't wait to explore them. 

I was on Instagram the other day and I came across this encouraging message that someone I follow had posted. Straight away I had to write it down in my diary because it spoke straight to my heart. I'm going to end this post with this. I hope that you find joy and encouragement in these words and in my own. I hope that you're reminded how beautiful and worthy you are - and if you're not, go somewhere where you are reminded. This world is beautiful and filled with amazing moments that we are yet to be a part of. God only ever wants the best for us, okay. 

"His heart is never to silence the desire of our hearts or to shame us for those desires. His heart is to pull us up on His lap while we ugly cry out the disappointments and curveballs we've faced. His heart is to listen to us laugh at how silly we've been and to marvel at how beautiful the future is. At the end of that, we just have to be willing to hop down and only take the steps He leads us to. It's the year of reaping what we have sown in sadness and hurt, it's the year of deferred dreams coming to fruition, and it's the year of big honking leaps of faith into His plan. We're gonna make it."

Love, S.

Image: Tumblr