As any artist will tell you, the key to creating a wonderful work of art is to be committed to the process. Beautiful creations take time. Sometimes they can be messy. And the artist often wrestles with how to produce a winning representation of what lives in the heart, mind, and soul.
The same is true for you. The key to living your beautiful life is to keep going. You must decide not to get hung up or stuck. Don’t get bogged down in the mess that comes with making a masterpiece. Choose to wrestle for the win.
When I was a girl, I thought the choices would be easy, the decisions would be straightforward, and that life as I desired to live it would simply fall into my lap.
Most of us already know that’s not how life works.
Life is a series of experiences — some good, some not so good. Some parts we cruise through. Others we wrestle through as we attempt to get a grip on our stories. And let’s be honest, we don’t like to wrestle.
But often the winning is in the wrestling, and it’s only as we continue to live that we see how all of those experiences fit together to make a complete picture.
You just have to keep going.
And believe in the idea of your masterpiece.
I hope that you are willing to take note of every part of your story through the various seasons of life. Some parts will look like strokes of genius. Others may seem random, insignificant, or straight-up wrong.
Keep going.
Do the work.
Believe in the idea of a masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 says,
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
The girl you wanted to be — or the girl you never were sure you could become — is already a divinely inspired masterpiece. Every day that you live, you have the opportunity to do the work of honoring the plan God has for you.
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11)
I want you to know that you can get back on track.
And I want you to know that you have a friend.
I count it as my mission and privilege to share lessons learned from my journey so that you can know you are not the only girl who’s felt lost in the middle of her life.
Is this your life?
Yes, yes, it is.
But this is me, your new friend, leaning in close with a smile to tell you this:
It’s not too late to make it a life you love.
~By Chrystal Hurst
Chrystal Hurst is an energetic, fun-loving “girl-next-door” who loves to encourage other women in fulfilling their full potential in Christ. She is the author of She’s Still There: Rescuing the Girl in You and co-author of Kingdom Woman. Being the eldest child of Dr. Tony and Lois Evans, Chrystal has been surrounded by the Word of God her entire life. You can find Chrystal on her blog or her podcast — Chrystal’s Chronicles—where she poignantly reflects her thoughts about her faith and day-to-day experiences.
Hear more from Chrystal at the (in)real life FRIENDED event this fall!