Many things in life are not as hard as I was warned.

• My driver’s test- that was a breeze.
• Getting married – may be one of the easiest and most joyous things I’ve ever done or been a part of.

There is something beautiful when plans line up and happen as you had envisioned them; however, I’m finding that this is not the majority. Rather I have found myself feeling like a running back pushing the ball through the defensive line. Sometimes my grunts sound more like complaints. Sometimes I find myself pushing teammates out of the way instead of the other team. And sometimes I get my eyes so fixed on the end zone that I miss the opportunities in front of me.

Here are some things I learned on the field:

• Life is hard, and the Struggle is Real.
• Life will not always give you the wins you were hoping for.
• Even though you might not win the game with your rival team, you have a lot to celebrate. Every yard gained took blood, sweat, and tears. Take a moment and celebrate.
• Sometimes you lose.

Some of my biggest heroes did not start out successful. They had to fail big. And then fail again. With each failure, more passion and courage developed. More character traits and talents grew. Slowly, these heroes became the purpose they were made for.  They learned that failure is not the end, but a foundation to build from. They discovered that failure is sometimes an open door. They have allowed their abilities and gifts to align (simmer in the Crock Pot) with their attitude and purpose. When this happens, something significant ignites!

• Find the peace and joy of the journey.
• Stop and smell the roses.
• Life was made to be filled with joy and peace.

I want to wrap up by focusing on the analogy of the ball. Because we all have more than one ball, all the aspects of our life that make us who we are: I’m a child of God, a wife, a mother, a daughter, an employee, a volunteer, a sister, an aunt, a friend… And these things take my time, yet I can’t do them all at once.

I have heard Christine Caine explain Life Balance. She said that Life Balance is not a scale perfectly balanced and stagnant. Instead, Life Balance should look like an uneven wheel that allows you to propel forward in the vital areas of your life. You will have to make intentional deposits into being a child of God, and then a wife, and then an employee and then a mom. This may look like working late at work one week, but then the next week you take time off to be with your family. Its taking small steps, one yard at a time, to be who you were designed to be.

Real People, Real Stories, Real God®