It has been a while since I posted here. My life has been full of ups and downs, joys and heartache. But that is how life goes, isn't it?

I have been reflecting lately on how resistant we can sometimes be to move on to the next chapter of our lives. I know as I move from chapter to chapter, many times it is pretty tough to turn the page. I have been struggling with this recently.

It is hard, scary and often lonely to leave the familiar pages, the things we know and move on to new pages that contain unfamiliar territory and uncertain outcomes.

There is also the heartache of leaving behind the comfort and familiarity, the intimacy of the people in our lives. With growth there are some we can take with us and some we must leave behind. And we don't always have a say in these matters. Sometimes those people leave or are taken from us.

So how do we turn that page? How do we push on through and move forward? It would feel so good to just have things the way they were, no changes, no new chapter. But life isn't like that.

In the end, it's our experiences that define us, that makes us who we are. It is more than that though. It is also how we choose to handle those experiences, what we learn and the opportunities we discover in the process that truly build us, strengthen us, define us.

God doesn't place on us more than we can bear, but sometimes we have to reach for Him, depend on Him for comfort and peace during those times in the wilderness. He won't place on us more than we can bear, but He will give us more than we can handle alone.

Matthew 10:29-31 reminds us that we are not alone. Jesus knows every tear that we shed, every pain in our heart, every desolate thought that invades our mind.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

He will give us comfort if we just ask. Sometimes it will be a peace, a stillness that He places in our heart. Other times, He directs people into our lives who can help and comfort.

All we have to do is ask.