The Good from the Pain

As I look back, pain was always a preparation for me. The Lord allowed pain before accomplishing anything He asked me to do. It made me more aware of my own weaknesses, my own faults, my own incompetence, my own lack of knowledge . . . it made me appreciate the fact that God must do everything. - Mother Angelica

Today is my one year anniversary of moving into my little apartment in San Dimas, California. It is unbelievable that I have lived in one spot for a year. I haven't done that since high school! And what a year it has been. It hasn't been easy. It's been extremely rewarding in the joy I experienced through my job, my friends, and my growth, but it's been as equally as trying.  Each trial I encountered brought pain and hurt, but also an immense amount of good, the good of discovering who I am and what I hold true. It's been a way of uncovering the depths of my soul and being sound as me. With each challenge, I can say I'm prepared for the next stage of life or the new challenges that await. As a good friend once told me and as Mother Teresa once said, “I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.”