Live the life you love and love the life you live.

I was thinking about a friend of mine the other day and this quote that she uses, "I live the life I love and I love the life I live," and I realized (again) how thankful I am that my life didn't go (or isn't going) the way I thought I wanted it to when I was younger.  I believe that the life that I "wanted" would have been great, but I also believe that it wouldn't have been AS great as my life has been because it wouldn't have been the life I needed.

Too often we hold on to the expectations of what we had for our lives rather than just live the life we have! Most of the expectations are false or unrealistic based on some fairy tale or pressure from the world. When those things don't happen we have two choices; we can live in disappointment, anger, bitterness and a selfish pursuit to chase or create that life (which usually ends in bad choices and their consequences) OR we can choose to accept the life that is before us and live it to it's fullest.

I am not saying that we shouldn't go after things we want, we do need to have goals, dreams etc.... What I am talking about is the "dream life." My dream life was being married with lots of kids (yes, I wanted to be a mini-van driving soccer mom) - all by the time I was 30(ish). Instead, I am single, work full-time, and live away from my family. I could dwell on the things I don't have and compare my life to what others do have and think "it's not fair, how come they got what I wanted?" OR I can embrace that this is MY life and it is going just as it should

My life isn't always beautiful, it's not always fun and it's not perfect by any means, but it IS an incredible life, because I can be confident in a sovereign God who knows what I need more than I do and I can rest in His love and faithfulness. My life has purpose far greater than the life I could have created on my own because it is trusted to God, and for that, I am thankful.

Are you living and loving the life you have been given?