Life is not perfect. This is a truth we can’t run away from.

Mistakes happen. No matter how hard someone could try to never do anything wrong in their lives, they will fall short.

Bad circumstances smack our lives right out of proportion. We look up to God in these instances, wondering how the heck He is working for the good in our lives.

Failure is real, and it is impossible to resist.

We can look at the above scenarios in two ways. One would be to approach them by moping around and letting the hurt feed on us.

Or we can look at them as an opportunity to learn, to improve, to have a change of heart, and to grow. 

The choice you make is a testament to the life you live. You can either let these situations destroy you or mold you. But we all have that decision to make.

Recently, I made a horrible mistake. This led me to feel serious shame and regret, causing me to sink into a hole of self doubt. I started to think I wasn’t good enough and God didn’t love me the same.

These were all lies. God is a forgiver, not a condemner.

If we never made mistakes, we would stay static. We would be boring and without personalities.

With mistakes comes learning and learning creates character. And a change of character is necessary for a life well lived.

Bad circumstances are never fun to go through. It is a fact nobody enjoys going through a storm.

The key is you are going through, meaning you will come out on the other side as a changed person.

Our most painful storms and our most shameful mistakes can turn into our greatest victories. Its these very situations and moments that can change our lives forever.

Think of your deepest regret in your past. How has that changed you? How have you learned? 

Think of the biggest storm you have faced. How did you change as a person? 

God uses everything in our lives, even the bad, for the greater good. We need to be molded and shaped by our struggles to become more like the person God intended for us to be.

If you made the mistake of getting angry at someone you shouldn’t have, you will be more reluctant to act in anger the next time. You will learn from your actions that anger and love do not coincide.

If your first year in college has been tough, you now know you can handle any rough transition thrown at you in the future.

Again, if your life was perfect, you would be a pretty crappy person. You also would be very boring.

If you are struggling with shame from a past mistake, and you just haven’t forgiven yourself, take the time to learn from it. Chances are, you can help anybody else who fallen into the same trap as you did.

If you are fighting a battle right now, and you don’t know if you are strong enough to get through it, have courage. Your character and faith are being tested.

Romans 5:3-4 says “Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Let’s cling on to this truth, ladies. In failures, in mistakes, in trials, cling to hope. It is the only truth that will get you through this crazy thing called life.

Dig deep and persevere through your struggles, failures, and mistakes. You are capable of more than you know.

When all is said and done, when you are dusting off the dirt off your shoulders, you might not even the recognize the type of woman you have become.

And that, my dear, could be the greatest thing that has ever happened to you.

Xoxo,

Ash