Life is short. In an instant life as you know it could be changed in ways that you though would never happen. We have no control over what happens to us in our lives. God has all the power over what happens to us in our life time.

In my almost four years that I have been out of high school, I have been faced with more life changing events than I have ever had to face in my years prior. Every time something tragic has invaded my life I seem to loose myself. I let myself stray away from Gods plan. I start to wonder if God is somehow punish me and the people in my life for some reason I do not know. I would always ask myself “if God truly loves me and his sons and daughters, then why is there so much pain and suffering in our world?” Everyone goes through there grieving period in a different way. Grieving can be done for many different life events. Whether you are grieving for the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one or friend, a tragic accent that leaves your friend’s life to be drastically changed, an incurable illness, or even as simple as a once great friendship that has seemed to stop on not great terms. No matter what event happened you are still in pain. Everyone will grieve over something at least once in their life time. But I’ve found with myself and others like me the first person we a quick to judge is God. God should be the first person we turn to when we grieve. We are quick to ask God why he is punishing us, or why he has taken someone from us. But we need to remember we do not have control over those types of things. God has a plan for everything we do in life whether we understand it or not.

God has recently hit me with another tragic event that completely shocked not only myself, but my community as well. He took home one of his sons way too soon. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I was speechless. How could God take someone so full of life, passion, talent, a readiness to teach others, and a love of life? God had a plan. I nor my community might not know what that plan is yet, but we have been brought together in this time of need. I am utterly shocked by the support that my community has for one another during this time.

What I have learned during this time is that you have to live your life to the fullest because you do not know when it will be your last. You must live your life full of passion. A passion to live your life the way that God would want you to live it. Passion for helping a cause that you find near and dear to your heart. Passion for helping and changing the lives of those around you. You must believe in yourself. Believe that you can do whatever you want to do in your life. Be that person who helps others find their passion. There is only one YOU, God made you a certain way for a reason. If you are a silly person, let that silliness shine, someone around you might really need a laugh to help them get through their day. If you have a passion for the arts, be that voice to get the arts to be recognized so others can share that same passion. If you love to help others, continue to help, there are people in our world who greatly benefit from your help, but just don’t know how to thank you. Be the greatest you that you could ever be, God put you on this earth for a reason, so live the life that God intended for you to have.