By Becky Weaver
In October of 2021, my husband and I had a fence put in for our three beautiful dogs. I had waited a long time for this fence and was very excited. I just had to go out and check on its progress.
Everyone who knows me knows I’m a chatty, friendly person, so of course I was talking to the man who owns the company. Before I knew it, we began to speak of the city where I grew up. As soon as I mentioned the city, I saw the man’s demeanor change and he began to look away. (Nothing new, I was used to this reaction.) I laughed at some of our conversation and said, “I know the city has a rough reputation.”
Yes, I was a “river rat” and yes, I was kind of rough back in my younger years. But here is the thing: I’m not a victim of the city where I grew up or the things that happened to me in the past. I am not my mother, and I am not my father. When I left that city and my parents, I still remained a child of God.
I’m glad I didn’t grow up in an upscale neighborhood with upscale homes, cars, and gardens. I don’t regret that my family had it hard. I remember once when my father couldn’t afford to pay our electric bill, our friend and neighbor, Jake, ran a long extension cord from his home to ours so we could connect our refrigerator to his power and our food wouldn’t spoil. We did what we had to do in order to survive. Bankruptcy, power and water being shut off, abuse, you name it; I’m sure I can fit it in my story somewhere.
But would I go back and change my past? Not at all. This is my story and God has a plan for me, even in the midst of the ugly. Romans 5:3-5 NIV says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Through the struggles and trials of life, I have learned to be compassionate to those who are suffering. Because I have been there, I understand. I’ve learned to be creative and resourceful; I can turn nothing into something because we had nothing. If it wasn’t for those hard times, I couldn’t be the person I am now. Through those hard lessons in my life, I grew and depended on God to pull me through. Today I stand stronger and a bit wiser. More importantly, I stand grateful to my heavenly Father.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).
Our past doesn’t define who we are. Any mountains that we may be struggling with right now can feel absolutely unbearable and look impossible to overcome. But we serve a powerful, loving God who is always working it out on our behalf, even if we can’t see it.
You’ve got this, and you are a survivor because God’s got you!!
Looking for a way to connect with God daily? Check out our daily devotional books. (They make great gifts too!): Living in Truth Day by Day *** Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit *** Living in Truth: A Christmas Devotional
