No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
Couple of weeks ago, I decided to sign up for a daily devotional called the Power Point by Dr.Jack Graham, which was completely God's sovereignty because the first email I received was about apostle Paul and how is difficult times, we as Christians were not meant to just survive through though times but instead thrive beyond them.
In the midst of studying for finals, I was lacking sleep was hoping to just survive during these times and God just kicked me in the butt and was like "DUDE, that's is not how I told you to live your life. I made you to live life to the fullest and merely surviving is not enough. You need to go beyond."
I realized that recently, I have been struggling with the idea of THRIVING. Even as I look to my future, I notice myself saying just get through this year and then you will live. Now, if anything that is a definite statement of survival goals. Even though, I have said Michigan to be my desert; I still needed to realize that we were not meant to just survive because that is wasting the potential of something better, even in rough times. If any one where to ask me about my future, there is no problem of THRIVING goals there, but that is again not living in the now.
It all hit me in a car ride home, I was sitting in the back with Anne and our parents was justing telling us crazy stories of when we were kids. Now growing up in a third world country as missionary kids, you bound to hear some stories that will break your heart. Well, it all started with the rain. It was raining pretty hard, and our Dad tells us the story of when we were kids we didn't have a car, so we had to walk around a lot. Apparently, there was a day that it was raining and we were all walking (well I was being carried since I was a baby) and Anne lost one shoe in the rain. Anne having the crazy memory remembered the sad walk home and how everyone just stared at us. Then our Mom came in by saying "I bet you don't remember the time you went grocery shopping with Dad, but couldn't buy anything so you came crying." Anne and I looked at each, "no, wait what happened" Anne replied. So our parents go on a tell us the following story...
Our family had recently moved to Dominican Republic and our family had only eaten bananas for three days. Since, our family could not survive merely by eating bananas our Dad ventured off with Anne and Eli to find a supermarket to buy our family some food. (since, I was still a baby I stayed home with our Mommy) After the walked couple of blocks, they found a supermarket called Pola and grab a cart and started to venture into the market. Since we were so hungry, Eli and Anne started to fill up the cart with tons of food. By the time they got to the check out line, the shopping cart was full to the point of overflowing. As they were about to check out, our Dad discovered that they did not accept US dollars, just Dominican pesos. (Since, we had just moved to the country and did not have any one to help us migrate into the country, he didn't have a chance to change the currency). As a result, they weren't able to purchase anything. They left empty handed. Since that moment, every time we went grocery shopping as kids Anne apparently always asked if we had enough money.
All of a sudden, Anne and I were sitting in the back with tears falling down our face. Even though we knew our childhood had rough moments, it just hit us how hard it must have been. I just was over struck with grief with the different sacrafices and struggles my family faced. I may have lived through it, but I was fortunate enough to be so young that my memories are filled with only moments of joy and peace. While all these emotions filled my minds, I noticed two things our parents sitting in the front laughing (also not knowing that in the back there was a cry fest going on) and the song that happen to play right at that moment, Everything is Beautiful by Starfield. It was at the moment I realized that I had the best example of people who chose to thrive and not just survive in the rough times, my parents. After 20 years of being missionary's to the Dominican Republic, they still rejoice of all the beauty God has given them and never once complain of any hardships they may still face. Those times of hardships made them stronger and through that they thrived and became who they are today.
It has finally hit home, the difference between thriving and surviving is not the end result but the mind and strength behind the actions. It is the mere attitude shift, maximizing the potential in every moment. Making everything beautiful to me.
So everything is beautiful,
Even when the tears are falling,
I don't need a miracle to believe.
Even in the crashing down,
I can hear redemption calling,
And everything is beautiful to me.
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