my quilt of life.

I love my friends. Each and every one of them. Every single one of them with every single flaw. Because, here is the thing, I'm flawed too. I understand bad days, poor decisions, and overreactions. I've been there. Maybe not with the same circumstances or the same bad choices, but I've been in the boat... and it's hard to not get seasick. It's difficult to remain calm, open your eyes, and see where the others are coming from.

Over the past couple weeks, I have been put in a couple very awkward situations. Ones where I have consciously chosen to not take sides, and yet I'm still be portrayed as a "side-taker." I've turned to select few that I chose to confide in and instead of just listening, I've been flat out (in a round about way) told that I was taking the wrong side and belittled for it. Yet, I know, inside my mind, heart, and soul, that I have taken no sides.

The issue of "sides" is something I think about often. After the trials I've been through with friends over the last year, I know I have had the desire for friends to take "sides." Who doesn't desire to be wanted? But, I also know that life is so much better just moving on and letting it go (being completely honest, I'm still working on it). Life isn't about sides. There isn't one team that wins or one team that loses, we just all finish at our own pace on our own paths. It's an infinite tie in the journey of life.

Last night, I was scoring the internet for something to encourage me. I came across a Bible verse that really stuck out:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." -- Romans 8:28-29

Take from it what you will, but to me it meant this:

There are trials in our lives. There are times when we will be down in the dumps and having the worst times ever. Some may argue that this month is it to them, and I'll get to that in another post, but -- there are also so many joys in this world. There are so many great things that happen all the time and sometimes we fail to notice them because we are too narrowly focused. And all these things are strategically intertwined by Someone that knows much more than I ever will. Every single event in our lives is woven together in the quilt of life. Every single one is different and yet in some way they're all the same. Right? They're all quilts.

It is in these moments of realization that we must make the conscious effort to embrace the uniqueness that strikes in life. Even if you and I experience the same situation, we may take from it two very different things -- neither one more right than the other, just different. Therefore, no matter what people try to tell me, I will stand on what I believe, knowing that I have made the decisions that are best for me whether others like them or not.

And that decision last night was to not sleep until 6:30am. I'm awesome.