life lately, wow. thats about the only word i could even use to begin describing it. had you asked me a year and half ago what i would be doing now, i would have been totally clueless as to the joys and sorrows the next 18 months would bring me. life has been so bittersweet. i can't even begin to tell you the emotional roller coaster i've ridden over the last 18 months, and i know its not over, but one thing i do know is, it is going to end well. not well in the a worldly sense, because my life has been changed radically. i've lost pieces of it that i will never regain, and i've picked up pieces that i hope i never have to let go of. let me just tell you first hand, God never gives us more than we can handle. i can't remember who exactly told me this, but someone recently said: "chandler, God never gives us more than we can handle. do you realize what that means? you're going through so much more than most of us ever go through! that just shows what kind of man God has shaped, and will shape you into. you have to handle all of this, because you can! and because its for His glory!" i can't even tell you how much those words blessed me.
so what is God's plan for all of this? i have no freaking clue. but let me just tell you...i'm SO excited. yes, it has hurt more than i thought i could possibly handle, but is it turning out for my good? of course. i have yet to see the end, but i know that no matter how it turns out, its going to be for the best. i don't remember where i read this quote. but somewhere i read "everything will be ok in the end, if its not ok, its not the end."
the Lord has blessed me far beyond what i deserve. i have a great family, i great school, a great church, and amazing friends. so many of them have blessed my life in ways that i don't think i could ever tell them. the Lord has blessed me with, Lauren Kohl, the most amazing girlfriend anyone could ever ask for. shes been with me every step of the way and i have no idea how i would have made it without her. she showed not only her love for me, but God's love for me was shown through her. she's amazing. also, i've grown much closer to amazing people like will g, will c, max, amy, christian, anna b., and my cousin rachel. all of these people have been incredible friends.
how am i doing? SO much BETTER than i deserve.
i've learned to day by day trust the Lord. trusting Him is not a one time decision, its moment by moment.
trust Him, have faith in Him, give Him your everything. and in turn, He will bless you beyond reason, beyond comprehension, and far beyond what you truly deserve.
more later....maybe
-chandler
3 comments:
I am constantly challenged and encouraged by you. I was talking to a friend the other day about how watching you and your family walk through this trial has had a huge impact on my own personal faith. I think that one of the biggest things God is doing through all of this is giving your friends and the friends of all your family members new eyes and fresh faith. I am so excited to see good coming from this pain, and I am excited to see your willingness to thank Him for the good and the bad. I can honestly say I don't look at my cousin dying in this same way at all, and seeing your perspective has made me really think about stuff. Chandler you are an amazing man of God....the affects of this are only just beginning, God is going to use this to create a lifetime of encouragement and strength for others. I love you like a brother and it has indeed been a blessing walking alongside you in this journey. May you be blessed!
i love you lots... and lots.
thank you so much for posting this!
I thank God so much for you and your family. It is amazing to see how God can turn tragedy into faith, pain into hope, and it is awesome to see how He is giving you eyes to see Him in it all. You are such a sweet spirit, much like your mother; and I can't wait to see the man that God is shaping you into. I am glad that my family has the opportunity to be a part of your life. We love you (especially matthias... he absolutely thinks you are the coolest!) Thank you for sharing your heart of faith in the everlasting creator. I pray that He continually bless you. Love you!
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