The Power of Pushing Forward

I didn't grow up in the hood or the projects. In fact, I grew up in a middle class family with parents who are still happily married and support my every move. However, for whatever reason, that was not my ticket to a struggle-free life. At 17 I was raped, 19 kicked out on the streets of LA by a relative, bulimic, and by 23, I was pregnant with a man who wanted nothing to do with being a father, thus I was forced to work and finish college as a single mother. Messy, right? Well I grew up around a group of girlfriends who have all their eggs in a row; graduated college, got married and bought homes.
I am glad I am not a good sailor like my girlfriends (whom I love very much). I have learned how to fall hard on my face and get right back up because I have always had faith that God was testing me to become strong so I can be prepared to fulfill my purpose in life. We all have a purpose, and we are all faced with circumstances that are equivalent to a training program for a job. Just as the training program gives us the skills we need to perform our job duties, life circumstances are given to us so we are ready to fulfill our purpose. Maybe your purpose is to teach children or work with cancer patients. Your purpose might be the happy janitor who makes a difference in the lives of students and faculty who see you every day. It's not the title of the job that makes you important it’s the integrity with which you perform that job. Furthermore, it not how hard or easy life had been but rather how you filter out the negative and capitalize on the positive that makes you successful.
I have been able to push forward because I have always looked to God for guidance. I meditate on his purpose for me rather than the purpose I set out to fulfill. God is interesting in that he will slap us around a little until we actually see what he has in store. Would you walk into Talbots and get mad that they don't sell olive oil? Of course not! Most apparel stores don’t sell food products. So why shop for your purpose like that? Are you the type who just thinks life sucks because instead of that "dream job" you thought was best you got a completely different opportunity? Or, do you see that opportunity as something that will get you further than the "dream job" to a place you never imagined possible? Ah have you ever watched Oprah? Yea, she is the queen of showcasing people who have had dreams come true in ways they never even thought of.
I have found that when I try to control my life the opposite happens. I feel chaotic, disorganized and disheveled. When I hand my problems or questions off to God, I feel peaceful, organized and in alignment.