There Is A Purpose: Sheridan Beck

Everyone meet, Sheridan!

Boy, do I love this girl! Sheridan and I started becoming close friends when we played on the same volleyball team and went on a missions trip to Turks and Caicos together!

This girl is full of Jesus, love, and fun. She is a joy to be around, loves everyone she comes in contact with, and shines bright for Jesus.

I hope you are encouraged by her blog post today, as I was <3

- Kayla Milligan

There is a Purpose

I am very blessed to have grown up in a Christian home and Christian community. I was at church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Plus, I went to a Christian school, so every day I at least heard the name, Jesus or God.

My family was very involved in the church. My mom worked for the church for a long time, my dad was a deacon, both of my parents sang in the choir on Sunday mornings, and my brothers and I played in our youth group’s band and played on Sunday mornings. I was always around the church and was very involved.  

And yet, especially in my teenage years, sometimes I felt alone. I didn’t want to burden others with my problems and issues. I was scared to share what I was going through with certain people because I didn't always know whom I could trust. I felt like I could never measure up to the expectations of who everyone wanted me to be. This resulted in me feeling isolated. 

Don’t get me wrong, the Lord has blessed me with some amazing friends, mentors, and pastors. These people have always been there for me and continue to influence my life. While the Lord let these amazing people into my life, He also let certain people leave.

I often found myself asking God, why would you let me be friends with this person, why did you let this person just walk out of my life, and why does it feel like no one wants me around?

And in the last couple of months, I have realized some things about God. He is for you and not against you, He will never leave you, and He has a reason for everything that goes on in your life.

Yes, at times you can feel lonely and you’re not sure why certain things are happening, but have you ever thought about how God has a reason for this season in your life? He saw things that you didn’t, He heard conversations that you couldn’t, and sometimes He made the move He knew you couldn’t make on your own. 

There is a purpose for the pain. We may not always see it in the moment, but God knows what He is doing. He had your life planned out before you were even formed in your mother’s womb. He knew you were going to go through this struggle. He knew that relationship wasn’t going to work out. He knew people were going to let you down. God knew. And yet, He uses every situation to remind us that He is always with us.

Will there be times where it feels like you are alone? Yes.

Will there be times when you can’t see an end to a struggle? Yes.

Will there be times where it feels like you have done everything you can and it’s still not enough? Yes.

But the great thing about these questions is there is one person who is constant through it all. His name is Jesus. Through every struggle and issue I have faced in my life, He has been there. The same thing goes for you.

Doesn’t matter how big or how small something may seem, Jesus is always going to be with you and He is going to do what is best for you. We may not always understand why things are happening, but we can always know that God has a unique purpose for each and every one of us. 

Does this mean that we are never going to struggle and everything is always going to be perfect in our lives? No. But the amazing thing about God is that He will never give us something we can’t handle. He knows our limits and how far we can go. And He will use every situation we face to grow us into who we are called to be. 

We can’t always count on the people and the things of this world, but we can always count on the one who never changes.

- Sheridan Beck