You Did Not Get Through Life On Your Own

For most of the time when I was in high school, I lived with this notion that God loved me, but he would never bring me immediate help. I had multiple medical disorders, and life was very difficult for me. I prayed and prayed for it to just be a little easier, for just one illness to go away -- just one, not all, not two. And nothing happened. I came to expect that it wouldn't.

I said I knew God loved me. And I did. I also knew that suffering would make me stronger, and whatever I was going through it was for a good reason. But I also came to believe that God had stepped out of my way, and thus when I did get stronger, when I did manage to overcome anything, it was on my own. The way I saw it, God wasn't helping me because of some higher plan I didn't understand, so I would get through it on my own. When bad things happened, I dealt with it. I got by. Sure, I didn't thrive, but I made it.

I know many people are like this. But recently, I was thinking about it, and I realized that I stopped too soon in my conclusions. Yes, I was dealing with things. Yes, God wasn't making my problems suddenly disappear.

But how strange, how assuming was I to believe that every time I got stronger, I did it on my own?
I didn't. All good comes from God. God was there even when I didn't feel him. Even when I felt alone, it's not like he was gone. He was supporting me, loving me, helping me in ways I didn't know and I couldn't recognize. After all, He's God, and I'm human. How could I possibly understand what comes from me and what comes from divine assistance?

The courage I found within myself, the endurance, the ability to accept and adapt - that all came from Him. I did not get through my troubles on my own. Sure, it would have been great if I had felt like God was with me, but even though I didn't, he was. The remarkable strength I found inside of me was from the Holy Spirit inside of me, giving me strength to get through the day.

So keep your eyes open. When you feel alone, when you feel like you're doing everything on your own, remember the strength you find. That courage comes from God. That supportive friend was there because God knew you needed support. I mean, come on. He's all-knowing. I'm just saying. :)