The Struggle of the Desert Season

The struggle is real. Everyday, period.

What does your struggle look like?

The truth is we all have a stories.

We have to fail on the way to glory even though it takes time trying to get it right.

Every future has a past.

We have this these times in our life that I like to call "desert seasons".

Why do I call them "seasons"?

Because everything that is typically hard, never last.

Its a season that we all go through good or bad that has it ups and its downs and we have to learn how to deal with it, grow through it, and learn from it.

Seasons can change you if you allow them to.

Although these times in our life can be excruciating, there is a plan behind them.

ALL of them, I promise.

If I could look back and tell myself 3 1/2 years ago that where I was then was no where near where I would be now I can only imagine how I would have not accepted it.

We often feel like we always know whats best for us and end up being so stubborn and hard headed that we don't listen to what is right in front of us.

The girl that I was 3.5 years ago is not nearly the woman that I am sitting here tonight writing this.

I thought at that point in time that I had lived enough life to tell my story of hardship, coming from a broken family not only once but twice, being a rebellious child/teenager

(yes its a blessing from the good Lord above that I am still alive), but no.

Even with everything that had happened in my life I still had and will always have more living to do.

You see, we all have things and tragedy happen in our lives.

Its hard to not sweep those things under the rug at times and actually deal with them head on.

Fear is nothing but from the enemy, do not let him win.

This is where I truly believe that God allows us to go through these Desert seasons in life.

For me, mine started out not to bad and then went from okay to horrible in a matter of days.

We sold our house in Lubbock to make a better life for ourselves in Ft. Worth.

What we thought was going to happen didn't end up working out as we had planned and had no choice but to move to Colorado to Clint's family ranch.

Not what we had envisioned but we were up for anything at that point because hey, what did we have to lose?

Well, life changed.

When I say changed, I mean CHANGED.

This spoiled girl from Lubbock that I thought was country did not have near enough grit in me to realize what the Lord was about to make me walk through.

Personally I know the in depth detail is what everyone wants to hear but I honestly do not feel the need to. We went through a really rough season, our living situation wasn't ideal but you know what?

What I thought was going to kill me, actually killed my pride and saved me.

The girl that I once was, is gone. The girl that the Lord has always wanted me to be is now here.

How did that happen you ask?

The Lord stripped me of everything I ever "thought" I needed and wanted to define me as a person.

Yup, you got it. Everything.

So how did I deal with that?

Well, I got mad and then I cried. ALOT & I prayed, ALOT!

& then one day I finally said to myself, "Stormy this is only as bad and hard as you make it, so suck it up and deal with it" - you think I am kidding I actually did say that out loud to myself.

Life & Death are in the power of the tongue - speak it and watch what happens!

I started to let go of all the judgement I was having and started embracing the new world around me that was eventually going to be my normal weather I wanted to accept it or not it was going to happen.

That desert season eventually started getting easier, I started becoming more comfortable and eventually I felt somewhat whole again but there was a change, a change in my whole being.

I wasn't the girl anymore that just moved from Lubbock, TX and felt like I need to keep up with everyone around me, the latest trends, have my makeup done every time I walk out of the house, etc.

Now, don't get me wrong this has NOTHING to do with Lubbock!

Lubbock is my forever home, and I love it!

What changed was my overall self and what I thought I wanted and needed to be happy.

Fast Forward---

We decided for work (we own a trucking company and trucking brokerage) that being closer to the DFW area would be better for us financially and personally to be closer to family, so we decided to buy a house and move.

We found our dream home, it is everything that I have always wanted.

A Beautiful ranch style house in the county, in a small town, close to family.

Everything should just be peachy right? WRONG.

I am not that girl that I once was, I don't need everything that I used to want or thought that I needed.

This place is great, the house is beautiful.

But this house, the land, the town, doesn't define me.

It does not and will never make me who I am. Period.

Walking through desert seasons God has asked me to has made Stormy who Stormy is today.

Material things to not love you back.

Material things do not care if you are okay or not at the end of every day.

Material things do not DEFINE YOU.

& I can promise you with everything that I have that,

Material things ALL run out and if you continue to try and feel that void in your life with them, they are just problems you aren't dealing with.

(Yes I know I got a little raw there, but I'm being truthful and sometimes the truth hurts right?)

Moral of this post is,

Seasons come and go but they are shaping us into what you allow God to do with your heart through them. Ive come a long way, but Lord knows I have a long way to go.

I am more humbled now that I have ever been in my entire life.

I am not everyone's cup of tea.

I will never mask myself trying to be someone I am not to fit into what others think I should be

and neither should you.

Your only judge is the man up stairs, you owe NO ONE a explanation for what and how God is working in your life.

If he is walking you through a desert season right now, sister I am praying for you because its HARD!

But if I can give you any bit of advice,

Don't Stop Praying

Don't Stop Fighting

Don't Stop Believing

Don't Stop Talking

& most importantly whatever you do, DO NOT GIVE UP!!!

Faith moves mountains, doubt creates them!

Your Struggle is your gift, and will be your testimony just like I am telling you the start of mine.

You got this!

Until next time,

Stormy