It's Hard To Say...

11 years ago.  I can remember it like it was yesterday....I had changed my mind.

Some of the singles from my church were going salsa dancing.  I had invited my friend, was dressed and ready to go, then I simply changed my mind.  I no longer wanted to go, but my mom (who was my roommate at the time) convinced me to go on and have fun.

And, it was at that salsa gathering (which I almost didn't go to) that I met my future husband, my then love of my life, my future baby daddy.

That was 11 years ago.  We would have been married 10 years today.

Wow!

I've often thought about how my life may have been different had I not gone salsa dancing.  I was on the upward trajectory to living out my plan of being a worldwide educator and speaker extraordinaire. I had just completed my master's, was soon to begin my doctorate, was living in a cute little spot, and had just found out I had gotten a job as an assistant principal. Life was good.

But, it's hard to say my life would have been so much better had I changed my mind...

It's interesting how being married to him was one of the worst seasons of my life...but, the marriage also changed my destiny because even through the pain, struggle, and tears, I received my most treasured blessings--my sons.

It's just so hard to say the years in the marriage were wasted...

It's so fascinating to me that even pain has been factored into the plan God has for our lives when He created us and brought us into a fallen world. He made provisions for it.

Romans 5: 3 states, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope. And, hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Hope is a byproduct of suffering. Isn't that great!

Think about that for a moment...Without childbirth, there'd be no child. Without hurt, there'd be no hope. Without the cross, there'd be no salvation.

Pain is inevitable. But, because God's word tells us suffering can also birth growth, we can rejoice through it because it's only temporary!

So, I stand corrected.  Pondering thoughts of "What if?" really is a waste of time. Life is so purposeful that even pain can't stop potential.

Trust me. I know.

From back to back pregnancies, being undervalued and unloved, losing my career, losing my home, divorcing , being depressed and anger......TO having happy healthy children, enjoying "singledom", experiencing a new career, moving into a new home, embracing forgiveness, and experiencing peace---I can truly say painful perseverance precedes potential and possibilities!

Now that's something that's easy to say. ;)