Godly Men: Greatest of Blessings.

I realized that today marks the 5 month anniversary of when I moved home. It has been 5 months of growing, struggling and pleading for clarity in my life.

5 months of wondering when I would figure out what was next.

5 months of asking "Why this? Why now?"

5 months of avoiding the tough situations and escaping to the past, where I was happy and content and comfortable.

It's been a rough 5 months. But I have learned a few key things along the way. And today I decided to reflect on what I learned that was the most important, the most revolutionary.

I thought about all of the people who have ministered to me over this time in my life. There are too many to count. But the ones who stood out the most are 3 men that I am blessed to call some of my closest friends.

When I have a bad day, they say:

"I think you should pray, sleep on it, and see how grey the world is tomorrow. Sometimes it actually gets brighter."

When I don't know how to keep going, they say:

"When you can't go any further, ask the Lord for no more than the strength to take one more step. Sometimes you will need a friend to help you take that step, but the Lord will always give you strength for a single more step. Never let yourself get bogged down in how far you still have to go, just focus on making it through the next step. If you take it a step at a time, before you know it you have walked a mile."

When I can't figure out what the will of God is, they say:

"We so often can't know. So often don't even know our reasons or whether they're right or not. Sometimes we just have to try. And sometimes we crash and burn. But other times, He carries us through."

When I am consumed with guilt and cannot move past my mistakes, they say:

"Bad things have been done all around, but no one is too far away from God's redemption. He has grace already waiting for us, we just have to be willing to forgive ourselves and accept it."

When I can't let go of the past, they say:

"Something I have had to learn is that if whoever the person is, is not the person God has for me, then no matter how much I want them to be, I don't want to end up with the wrong person even more."

Isn't it wonderful how God uses ordinary people to speak His truth? Each statement above was given to me in a casual conversation. There was no lightning bolt of realization, no deafening thunder of "This is from the Lord." But through these men, through their encouragement and constant love, God has continually poured His wisdom into my heart when I need it most.

So to those special men: thank you for being willing to love me, build me up and comfort me with godly wisdom and genuine friendship.

It has truly changed my life.