Awaken - Lindsay Wellhoefer

As we come across people in our lives, at our schools, at the store, even in our churches, they may seem like their lives are perfect and everything is going well. However, this is often not the case and things are not as they seem. When you peel back the layers of life and go under the surface, you find out what they are actually going through. I was one of those people. When you looked at me you would have thought my life was great. Though I had a great childhood, loving family, and safe home, the actual events of my life would take me down a path far from what I experienced in my childhood. My story and path through life show what really can go on beneath the surface. Pain, bad decisions, anxiety, assault, abuse, fear, divorce, all ultimately become part of my life's story. My journey through this thing we call life would take me through it all. At times, I would wonder if I would be able to make it through everything? After all that happened what was the purpose? Would I ever be able to make sense of the mess and find a calling in my life?

As I made bad decisions, endured terrible hardships, got entangled in difficult relationships, I had to figure out how to navigate these circumstances. More importantly, I had to learn to not lose faith in the midst of it all. I had to learn to reassure myself that God had a plan for me and eventually the dusk would turn to dawn. If I had not learned to hear that still, small voice in the back of my head and trust in God's plan, I may not be here today to tell you this story.