Its Always Darkest Before the Sunrise...

My parents gave me this picture when I was young, and it was always on my bedroom wall while I was growing up. My dad always said that "everything happens for reason, the good, the bad and even the ugly all have a distinct purpose for your greater good and that your Guardian Angel, or God will always guide and protect your path throughout life."

Recently, since my life, travels and other aspects of my current circumstances & responsibilities have been more than a full load to handle, (those that know me personally have had a glimpse of the curve balls that have been thrown my way in the past 12 months)

But interestingly enough, I found this 'stress test' online ** http://www.stresstips.com/lifeevents.htm ** (that I suggest you do) that I will post on my blog here soon that talks about all the stressful life events that a person goes thought, and the average person should score around 150 using this self assessment system they created to judge how 'stressed' someone is or could be.

My score was 560!

Meaning, I have encountered almost 5 times the maximum stress load of the 'normal' person, in just the last 12 months alone.

They base this score upon recent changes in your life focusing on the lat 12 months, and since then I have moved countries multiple times, plus moved apartments more times then I can recall, started new jobs, a breakup / ended a relationship, started investing in a new risky market, had to deal with 2 deaths in my family while overseas (my uncle and my grandma only 1 week apart over Chirstmas), had 2 court proceedings; one for a rental property I manage and the other most importantly re negotiating and improving the custody agreement of my son as his mother and I are really working things out in a positive way which is a huge relief, and that is all that really matters, (and for those of you who are wondering, since I have been overseas working its ironic but both the relationships with my son and his mother have really strengthend and improved more so when we were in closer living proximity, we have Skype video webcam connections a couple times a week and it is a healthy balance).

However, in saying that, I really can't wait to be back with my little man asap :)

Also, my parents, being the great people they are, just re sent this picture above that was in my old bedroom to me, along with this poem that really is quite fitting especially considering this past 'transition' period of my life...

This poem made me realize that everything that not only happens, happens for a reason, but it happens because God allowed it to happen.

A big distinction there...
 
Me: Promise You won't get mad
God: ......I promise
Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do u mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late
... ... God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait
God: Hmmmmm
Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call
God: All right
Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one
of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that
Me (humbled): OH
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me (embarrassed):Okay
God: Your phone went dead bcuz the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly): I see God
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that would knock out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm Sorry God

God: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All things , the Good & the bad.
Me: I will trust You.
God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for Everything today.
God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I Love looking after My Children...

So I guess the life lesson is, what appears to be 'bad luck' or circumstances, can actually be a blessing in disguise..

I have realized my most important priorities in my life are broken down into the Four F's:

Faith

Family

Finances

Fun (and these days "fun" for me means surfing)

Here is a collage I made to represent them and keep me focused on them...

I sincerely hope this poem passage helps put things or troubles in your own life in perspective for you, as it did for me.

All my best,

Quinton