the movie of life

Yesterday in my religion class, my professor said a profound statement. He boldly stated, “The Hell of all Hells will be the day that we stand by God’s side, watching the movie of our life, and realize that He gave us exactly everything we wanted and more.”

Today I’ve been reflecting on these words, which basically sum up the very thing I’ve been working to prevent for some time now. My life has been rich. Rich with sadness & sorrow, genuine laughs & smiles, blessings & miracles, depths of despair & hopelessness, cold wintery days, and beautiful glorious summer days. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t trade or change a thing. I’m not going to lie though, there have been moments when I’ve felt forsaken & abandoned by God, but in hindsight, I’ve always looked back and recognized that I needed that experience to build a specific strength that I could not gain in any other way. And I also realize that all along God was actually a lot closer than I thought. What would this world be like if everyone saw their challenges as a gift and not a curse…a compliment from God because He believes in you and honors your desire to grow and become better. What if everyone in this world recognized that everything that happens to us is for a reason…a reason that deep down somewhere in our soul we truly want. What if everyone chose to take ownership of the hard things that happen to them instead of camping out on the victim doorstep?

I believe that God is a perfect Father. He promises each one of us a way to reach our deepest desires and highest potential, but the only way for Him to fulfill that promise is a road that is not immune from sadness, pain, and despair. However, if you allow yourself to notice, that road is also lined with gifts of grace from God. If we stop running away from Him in our challenges and embrace the ups and downs of life as an opportunity to grow, that’s where life goes from a uncomfortable inconvenience to an exciting adventure. I hope that on that blessed day when I sit a watch my movie of life with God, I can genuinely smile upon all my experiences because I already recognized that God has blessed me with everything my soul desires and more.