The kind of Karen you want to be like…

Listen up friends, for some encouragement from my favorite person

Welcome back friends! It’s been a while and I am so happy to be writing again. What a crazy last 3 months it has been. These last three months have been filled with lots of smiles, laughter, tears, and time just figuring out what my purpose is. This semester has been such a learning and growth period for me. If I am being transparent, I have had many honest and hard conversations with God about hurts that I have been going through and just asking God why things happen sometimes. I have found myself saying “If only this, then this would be better” and “if only I was like this, this would’ve worked out”. I had to take a step back and ask myself why was I questioning His plan. I realized I only question his plan when times get tough. It is so easy to trust in Him when life is good and going exactly how we like it. I wish life was easy and smooth sailing, but I can be the one to tell you as you probably know, it most definitely is not. Life gets really hard for all of us at different points, and that is when it is so easy to just sit in the dark pit and get stuck.

If you know me you probably know my mom, and if you do not know me you should want to know my mom, she’s way cooler than me. My parents are the people I got to for just about everything and am so thankful for their constant encouragement and wisdom. My mom could give almost anyone a pep talk and make them feel like a beautiful brand-new person. Trust me I have needed a lot of them recently, and you may need one too. So I am going to try my best to give you a “Karen Talk” as my family likes to call it. I want you to think about something in your life that has brought you stress or sadness recently, big or small. I am sure you’re thinking of it right now which proves we ALL have something that weighs on our heart. I don’t know about you, but I am an over thinker. I overthink EVERYTHING! This is not beneficial when I am already kinda feeling down about something and then it just turns into a downward spiral. I end up in the darkest place and feel anything but myself.

Sometimes we are faced with a situation in life that seems like it is impossible to get through and it makes us want to question God and wonder if He is still there. My mom always talks about the Israelites and the Red Sea from the book of Exodus. If you never have read it basically there are the Israelites who were getting out of Egypt to avoid war and were lead to cross the red sea. As they were faced with the red sea, the Egyptians were behind them getting ready to kill them. They had the Egyptians behind them and the massive red sea in front of them. God told them to trust in Him and BE STILL and He will make a way. The red sea was literally split open down the middle with a walkway opened for the Israelites to get across to other side before they were harmed. My mom looked it up and the Red Sea was 180 miles wide!! God parted 180 miles wide of a sea so they could walk through it. God led them through the waters and guided them through their fears.

As my mom was describing the scene, she started explaining how this can apply to our lives now. The Israelites were probably scared to death thinking there was no way they were going to get out of that situation alive. I am sure the enemy was feeding them lies convincing them that was it. But GOD made a way!! He literally split the Red Sea, and friends He CAN and WILL make a way for us. As the Israelites were walking through the water, I am sure they were looking all around them wondering what would happen if the water caved in, I am sure it was scary to walk through, but they ended up on the other side full of faith and in awe of God. My mom talked about how sometimes we see what we are being faced with and think there is no way we will get through it, and so we ask God to remove it. I know when I am going through something hard, sometimes I wish it would just go away instead of having to go through it. God could have easily removed the Red Sea, created another easier route, or he could have easily taken away the Egyptians. BUT listen to me now friends, he kept the Red Sea, and parted it so the Israelites had to walk through it!!! God led them through the red sea, even with all that was surrounding them, they continued to walk through it and trust, even when it was hard. God doesn’t always remove a hard situation in our life, and maybe he doesn’t so we can trust in Him and lean on Him to get through it. If he removed every hard situation in life, we would not need faith! I wish life was easy, but oh man it is not. Sometimes, if I am honest, it is hard to hear “God has a plan” when my life feels like it is falling apart. I would like to hear anything but that. But when I walk out on the other side of the darkness, even if it takes a while, I look back and see how God led me through that and see the evidence of his work. So remember this, as my mom said, sometimes God doesn’t remove the problem, but he DOES provide a way to get through it even if it seems impossible.

“God doesn’t always remove a hard situation in our life, and maybe he doesn’t so we can trust in Him and lean on Him to get through it.”

I don’t know what you believe in, and I am not telling you what to think, but I am here to encourage you, YES YOU!! To the one who is just feeling lost and feels like there is no more hope. Please know you will get through this, the sun will rise, and your heart will feel light again. Do not let someone or something affect your focus on walking through the storm. Satan tries to rob us of our joy and make us feel worthless. It may feel like the end, and you may feel surrounded by the Egyptians and Red Sea of your life, but God will provide a way to get through it, even if all you can do is crawl on your knees. YOU WILL get through it, I believe in you.

Today I want to remind you of how strong you are for making it this far, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and I know that you will do great things.Walk in freedom knowing whose you are. Keep your head up because you shine so brightly. Tell someone you love them, go get some ice cream, and don’t forget to laugh at the craziness. You have a light that has the ability to shine so brightly. If you’re surrounded right now, know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and YOU will be ok!! Take the advice my mom, Karen, gave me and remember it today. She is the kind of Karen I want to be like, and I hope you are encouraged.

Thanks for reading this far, reach out if I can be praying for you in any way!

Xoxo

-Campbell