Life to the Fullest

Recently we recognized the anniversary of a horrible car accident that I was in.

I was driving to my parents’ house when I fell asleep for a split second and crashed into a mailbox in front of a person’s home and then into a tree beyond that. My car caught on fire, and I tried to get out of the car, but I couldn’t. The door was stuck. The person inside the house there rushed out and was able to open the door and pull me out to safety.

Amazingly, although my car was completely destroyed, I came out of that accident in one piece. God had rescued me.

The thing is, at that time I did not want to be rescued. I was struggling with a deep depression and with suicidal thoughts, and I wished that the Lord had taken me in the crash.

That was a year ago.

At this point in time, I’d like to believe that God has more than begun to pull me up out of my pit of despair. I’m relying on Him to give me a more positive perspective, I’m seeking to be grateful in the midst of hardship, and I’m feeling more motivated in my daily activities. He’s helped me take baby steps!

So as I look back and remember this time last year, I do so with a thankful heart. The Lord gave me a second chance at life – and I want to live it to the fullest (John 10:10). ❤

P.S. Here is a picture of the car after my accident.

car-crash

*Featured image by: Tattyan

A Change of Perspective

Today I started training for a new mini-job…and I liked it! It felt good to actually be doing something that is productive, and that will hopefully bring in a little extra money. And that gave me a tad bit of hope for tomorrow.

It got me thinking about perspective. I don’t often have a very good view on life. I focus on the things that I’m struggling with, instead of holding on to the joys and the blessings and the many things that I have to be thankful for. In any respect, my perspective could most definitely use an overhaul!

When I don’t feel motivated to do anything during the day, it brings me down. But instead of letting how I feel pull me into a pit of despair, I want to focus on taking a baby step towards accomplishing some goal, and thanking God when He helps me to take that step. When I feel alone and like no one understands what I’m going through, I want to focus on praising God that HE understands, and try to reach out to someone else who may be struggling. And when I want to give up because things are just too hard, I want to focus on the fact that the Lord has gotten me this far, and rejoice because He posesses an unlimited reserve of strength that is available to me for my journey.

I know that this change of perspective – this refined focus – is going to take time. But if I can apply this new outlook to even the smallest of everyday tasks, it will start to because more of a habit. And then it will become natural. And that’s the way I want it to be! I want to be a positive person.

Will you pray for me I seek to adopt a more positive perspective? I would greatly appreciate it. And what about you? Would you also like to change the way you look at life? Please feel free to leave a comment so that I can pray for you as well.

And remember…

Tomorrow is going to be amazing!

Coins in a Jar

Forty-four dollars and nineteen cents.

That’s how much money I received from the machine after putting in all of the coins that my Dad had saved up for me. He loves throwing his change in a jar when he comes home from work, and then giving it to me to cash out and use towards things that I need.

I went food shopping after I traded in my coins. I attempted to add up in my head the cost of the things that I was putting in my cart, but I soon lost count. Going down my grocery list, I picked up the items that I needed, and was finally ready to check out. As the cashier rang up my items, I was praying that I had enough cash to pay for it. And you’ll never guess how much the total came to:

Forty-four dollars and nineteen cents!

Isn’t our God amazing?! He knew how much money I needed, and He provided it for me – nothing more, and nothing less.

And I know that His provision wasn’t just about money. It was about my Father showing me, in a manner that I could not deny, that He sees me. He sees the things that I’m going through. He sees my heart and my desire to please Him. He sees my struggles and my shortcomings and my sins…and He loves me just the same.

I am His daughter, and He lovingly cares for my needs.

So whatever situation you are in today, just know that God sees you. He sees every detail of Your situation, and He cares deeply. If you will trust Him with your life, He will gladly take your burdens and will faithfully provide for you in His own time and way – just as He graciously did for me.

That’s the simple lesson that God taught me through coins in a jar.