Highs and Lows

 

Now that most of our daughters are in school, they go through their own share of friend drama, which often feels overwhelming to them. Sometimes things get really good for a while, but then they can't stand each other again. Their friendships are always fluctuating, with many ups and downs. I can relate because I remember facing similar struggles. I try to share with them the advice I wish I could have given my younger self: everything will be okay, and soon it will not even matter anymore.  Your best friends will likely be those closest to you, like your family.

Growing up teaches us lessons we wish we could pass on to our younger selves, but we only truly learn them through time and experience.

Our journey of faith is much the same. As we spend more time with God, we grow in faith, maturity, and trust. In the beginning, though, our faith can be fragile and very inconsistent.

​When I first committed to following Christ, my faith and trust in Him were often short-lived. I frequently wondered how I could feel so uplifted and confident in my beliefs during the mountain-top moments, only to lose that faith and find myself back in the valley of doubt shortly after. This constant cycle of highs and lows was disappointing.

If I could speak to my younger spiritual self, I would say to be patient and not lose faith. I would reassure myself that I would soon learn there’s no need to get so upset or stressed, God would definitely see me through.

Jesus taught this lesson in his parable about the sower. He explained that seeds falling on shallow ground do not last long because they have no roots.  Growing roots takes time.  Roots resemble our history and experience with him.

But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  (Matt. 13:21)

Those who don’t have a deep history with God may not have seen His faithfulness over and over, and that’s an important part of building the faith we need to fervently believe.