Pain and Joy

2011, a new year.  It holds hopes, excitements, pains and regrets for everyone. I myself am looking forward to another semester at college, strengthening friendships and, for the month of January at least, muttering under my breath every time I accidentally write 2010 instead of 2011.

2010 was an amazing, but scary year for me. I have done so much which I didn't expect to do and have met a lot more people that I can ever completely remember (Thank goodness for Facebook, right?). I have gone many more places and learned so many things that I was afraid at times that my brain would choke. I went to a foriegn country, and then I moved away to a college twenty hours and two times zones away from my family. During the first few weeks of my first college semester, I was struck again and again by loneliness. Even now, It still strikes me at random times.

Now why am I indulging in this journey down Memory Lane? Well, I could say that it is the beginning of a new year and I should send out the old one with a fond "Farewell." But that is not the reason I write this.

I write this to tell you (and myself) not to fear the coming year.There are many joys to be experienced but also many pains. In the middle are the risks we must take in order to discover which experiences will lead to joy or to pain.

I have tried to avoid pain, and I know others who still do. It is impossible. The only way to avoid pain is to block all feelings. But if we block all of them out, we deprive ourselves of the ability to find joy. Moreover, we deprive ourselves of the ability to grow.

God has used my pain and struggles to help me grow this past year. Without these struggles, I would never have discovered the wonderful friends at school or found mentors and peers willing to help me become the man God wants.

Sometimes, we need to be willing to experience some pain to find joy. And if we look hard enough for  long enough, we will find that joy.

I believe that God does not want us to experience pain. But He will use that pain for His Plan.And if we let Him work in us through our laughter and our tears, He will makes us better men and women. All we have to do is trust Him.

Holy is He and worthy of praise.