showing that you love

Last week I celebrated my 18th birthday. The day was filled with so much happiness & joy, people telling me how much I'm loved, how much they value my friendship, how much people wish they could be with me on my birthday, you know all that birthday-ness. I had a good day on my birthday, I even found out some bad news, but I didn't let it ruin my day. It got me to thinking that everyday should be a day as happy as a birthday. 

I wish we had reasons to tell people we loved them everyday. I wish that everyone felt as special as they did on their best birthday ever. I wish that texting your friend that you just saw yesterday "I miss you" was something that happened more often. I wish that picking someone up a single rose on your way to see them was a regular. I wish that we knew how much we were loved.

People underestimate themselves everyday, they doubt themselves, they wish they had a different, better life, they wish that someone would tell them they love them, at least I do... but that's not how it is because we're so wrapped up in this or that to remember what is an actual essential in life - love.

So many times I get discouraged at myself for feeling sad, because I know that I shouldn't be. I have a Heavenly father that loves me more than I'll ever know, but something still feels empty. The world is so surrounded by darkness that it finds its way in. Feelings of sadness and brokenness allow me to realize how I can help others feeling the same way. We were sent here to show the love of Christ, no way could we ever show how much love that really is, because we are human - but man, what an honor to be a daughter of the king and be able to share joy and love to the darkness around me. What an honor that the Father has put this job upon us to share the lightness. But also, how terrifying.

What holds us back from shining through the darkness? The darkness itself. We live in a fast paced world where we are told to go with the flow - well, quite honestly where we are forced to go with the flow. So often I try to remind myself that this earth does not own me. So many times it is a rush to get somewhere, it is continual stress to get homework done on time, it is being pushed & pulled every which way. In the middle of the chaos, stop and breathe and remember to whom you belong. Remind yourself that whatever you are doing at that moment is for temporary satisfaction - your calling for this earth is far beyond your work place, your education, your grocery shopping, your everyday stress. Your calling for earth is to love - every. single. day. Your calling is to show people they are worth something, because of Christ. Your calling is to share the love of the Lord to this dark, dark world. Don't get sidetracked, don't let everyday distractions get in the way, don't let the lies of "maybe someday" creep in, because "someday" is today.