What a whirlwind life has been this last month. So much has happened that if I even told you half of it, you would think I was crazy or being extremely over-dramatic.

As I sit here reflecting on all the chaos and series of unfortunate events that unfolded, I can’t help but feel so at peace and overwhelmed with joy. I look back on some of the other dark and heavy forms of adversity I had to overcome when I was younger, but this feels like nothing in comparison. Yes, I am older and wiser, and I have put a LOT of work into my sense of discipline and ability to have better control of my thoughts and actions, but it’s so much more than that.

Now God had always been something I had known about, and growing up, He was much more of a rule than something I could have a relationship with. He was always there, but I wasn’t aware of it. I tried desperately to control every detail of my life and make things happen. More specifically, I was spending a lot of energy trying to make the world meet my expectations.

Where I’m going with this, I have no idea how I survived the chaos and the dark moments without leaning my trust in God. He has been the only constant and has shown time and time again that even when I can only control what I can control, He still is the One in complete control.

I’ve never experienced this much peace and joy during so much chaos. Do I enjoy the chaos? No, but I am beyond grateful for it. It has conditioned my mind, body, and soul and has transformed my life tremendously.

Even as someone who focuses on mindset, I can’t believe I haven’t spent much time fully resonating with the concept of physical training being the same as my mental and spiritual training. Without this tension and “heavy load” from our struggles, we wouldn’t have a reason to genuinely push for more, learn to let go or learn how to hang on. We wouldn’t have the experience of knowing what’s worth fighting for and what isn’t. We wouldn’t have anything to remind us what matters most, how precious the gift of presence is, and how important love is.

We are imperfect people who prefer safety and comfort, but what’s wild is that we don’t receive it if we stay there. We need that constant reminder.

My favorite quote applies here yet again. “We need water to survive, but water can also kill us.”

If we never have a reason to grow, we never will. Avoiding struggle altogether will leave us feeling purposeless and will never equip us to show up when adversity does strike. On the flip side, if we obsess and become addicted to the struggle and are constantly fighting battles, we’re missing the point. The fight then comes from a state of fear and will make for a heavy, exhausting life. There is purpose for pain, and there is purpose in rest. The magic is learning to embrace and lean into them both.

My biggest takeaway from all this is that we must learn to be at peace with that which is not in our control. Finding peace in the good and the bad is what it is all about.

What a beautiful mess we are blessed to live in. A chance to grow. A chance to learn. A chance to teach. A chance to give. A chance to forgive. A chance to love. A chance for truth. A chance for grace. And for that, I am grateful to embrace the trials as much as I do the triumph.

This message was timely for me to share with you, considering we are in the thick of the holiday season. Even though it is “The most wonderful time of the year,” it seems to feel like the most stressful, chaotic, lonely, and awful time.

I hope this helps change that for you. No matter what you are going through, whatever chaos or darkness you are sitting in, I beg you to seek peace and joy. I promise you it’s there. I promise that you will make it through, and if you choose to embrace both the bad and the good, you will grow. So much good is there for you on the other side of that chaos.

Praying you lean into the joy, peace, and light this holiday season.

With love and peace,

Coach Jayme