I frequently ask God if I can come home. I know that “going home to be with the Lord” usually implies that someone has passed away. At first, I was fine with that. But then I remembered Enoch. Enoch never passed through death but was simply taken up to be with the Lord.

I feel like a child that has been left at daycare or elementary school by their parents and would rather be with them. Sobbing loudly, throwing a tantrum. I’ve done this more often than I would have liked to in my lifetime. But it was through this experience, and the understanding of it, that I realized the hardship God deals with as a parent. It’s not His desire to leave us in the middle of our pain and struggles but He allows it because of the growth it comes with.

Parents know that when they leave their children at school, the children are able to learn and develop into functioning human beings and gain life experiences.

School is necessary for growth.

Think of life as school. We may not want to be here sometimes and that’s okay. God has called us to live as temporary residents here. The feeling of pain and struggle is an indication that we need God. He is our protector, healer, provider, and most importantly He loves us. He loves us more than we could ever love ourselves or each other.

I want to encourage you to keep fighting through the pain. Keep asking, and you will receive the answers you need. Keep searching, and you will find the peace and purpose you desire deeply. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened.

The key to living a life of purpose is perseverance.

As much as it hurts, I still pray to this day that God will shut any doors that I don’t need to walk through and open any doors that I should walk through. I say it hurts because there have been a lot of doors that I thought would be opened but remained closed. I’ve knocked on many of closed doors but that is what led me to the right doors to be opened.

You cannot give up on the first few tries. God encourages us in His word to KEEP ON. Stay at it because what you don’t see, is that you are moving through the path even though it feels like you’re at a standstill.

Matthew 7:9-11, describes parents that will give their children what they ask them for. Even though some of these parents may have wicked hearts. Then there’s the question of how much more will our Father in Heaven do for His children that ask Him for what they need?

In all of His goodness.

My experience with walking this difficult path has been that God’s answers don’t always come when I want them to. I may be asking, searching, and knocking for a while before He gives me a clue to what is going on. But His timing is always perfect. What we ask for, may not be given to us in the way we thought it would or should. We may not understand Him all the time. We may get weak in our walk with Him. But we can trust that He has our best interest in mind and a specific plan for our lives.

One that requires hope, diligence, and growth.