I am 22 years old, which is quite young according to many, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had my fair share of trying times.

I’ve dealt with death. I’ve dealt with heartache. Sadness did not come too far behind, and worry followed shortly after. There have been moments where all I wanted to do was punch a wall, and believe me, I tried. I have gotten so angry that no person could tell me otherwise. I’ve gotten so upset that I’ve needed to just take a drive.

My life has not come without fault. Even a new born baby has their fair share of tiffs – like not getting their food fast enough so the only option is to kick their mother to speed up the process – sorry mom. They have plenty of toys, but whatever any other person has in their hand is far greater.

These and many alike are things that are stamped as being bad. They are negative in character because they give everyone a heartache. They open up the door to worry and frustration. But what’s the good in it?

Nothing would be my first answer, what about yours?

Though somehow God has the vision in mind or rather, he has foresight. Anything negative in your life comes with a bright light.

It’s called: a teaching moment.

It moves you forward in showing you how to maneuver through life. You experience things that are out of your control, such as sickness, and learn how fleeting life is. You begin to understand that you have to rely on one constant thing: God.

But even in your darkest moments where it seems as if no one is there and you wonder how God could see all of the deaths after calamity after tragedies happening and not stop it, you realize that’s it’s not about you. You are given the choice to trust or not to, but you have to make that decision. If you do, you begin to feel stronger. You gain strength. The things that used to bother you slowly lose their count.

You make stupid mistakes and learn from their results. Maybe I won’t touch that hot stove again. Maybe I won’t date someone who doesn’t care about me. Maybe I won’t remain stagnant because I’m afraid I’ll fail.

Whatever it is, however those bad things affect you, there’s always a silver lining.

-Jas