I live my life, I talk to my friends, I read what others write,
and I know: God is in this world.

He is there to help all of us
even when our struggles last for years.
Or we reach our promised land
and find that life is still hard.
When work overwhelms us,
when joy is slow to find,
when our mistakes plague us,
and we can’t figure it out,
He is still there.

He is there. Always.
He can turn sorrow into joy,
He can make weak things strong,
He can magnify our efforts.

He loves us. He is our Father.
He can be in control of our lives,
and turn hard things into great things.

I have had the same weakness for years, and I have spent a long time trying to overcome it. Lately, I feel like I’m finally at a place where it doesn’t disrupt my life. It’s taken lots of prayer and study and a bit of counseling. And a lot of effort. I still think I will struggle with the same weakness, but I am no longer afraid of it. I have learned much and worked hard to get myself to this point.

I never thought a trial that at first seemed rather simple and easy to overcome would be around for years. At times I was so frustrated that I wasn’t making the progress I wanted.

But God was always there. His timetable is simply very different than my own. I wanted problems gone now. He answered my prayers much slower: sometimes it has taken years. But at the same time, He answered my prayers in a great degree and more beautifully than I imagined.

All the good that I am is because of Him. And I know He can make much more out of my life than I ever could. Lately, I’ve been looking at people I admire and I’ve realized that they did not get to where they where by their own efforts. God led them. He can lead all of us if we let Him.