For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster. To give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

My husband and I have that scripture hanging in our room. It was a mantra for us during our courtship and the early part of our marriage. We had a number of difficulties to face during the first several months of our relationship. In spite of those hard times, we have been consistently, deeply happy in our new marriage.

Still, the hard times during those months left its mark on both of us. At the time, I was doing a bit of a commute for work (about an hour and fifteen minutes each way), and wasn’t doing very well emotionally. All the time on the road, the stress and chaos of the job, and all the time away from my husband… it took a heavy toll on both of us. So much so, that the temporary commute I face each day is a very ugly reminder of that time in our lives.

There are days when I am able to car pool with my sister, as God saw fit to put our home offices in the same little office park. Those days are always much easier to tolerate, but any day that affords us a little sister time is a better day than those that don’t.

God always has a plan and a way to get through whatever comes our way. What I’ve found the last several weeks is that He’ll be there to help us, even when we refuse to cooperate and make better choices. We have to make the better choices to please ourselves and the Lord, and not anybody else. Otherwise we’re making them for the wrong reason and they won’t stick.

We all have the power to control our emotions, and not allow ourselves to be controlled by them. I’ve been allowing myself to step out of the tug of war altogether. I realize that when a negative emotion arises, my instinct (developed over years of survival) is to step away and put all of my emotions up on a shelf in the deep recesses of my mind. That doesn’t mean my choices are right, only that they’re mine.

“I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the LORD.” PSALMS‬ ‭27:13-14‬ ‭AMP‬‬

I believe God is the way, the truth, and the light. I believe that if I do whatever I can to follow the guidance God gives me, I will get where He wants me to go. I may be a little off the path right now, but I’m working on that. We’re all in a constant state of trying to get back on the path… in fact, it’s often easier to see when someone we love has strayed of course than when we ourselves have. How important it is that we’re careful in helping our neighbor address their sliver, knowing we’re looking around own logs to lend a hand.