It won’t be long before Im moving. Again. That will make 8 times in 7 years, quite a change in the vision I had of my future as a 20 -year old. In my earlier years, I pictured myself residing in the same home (my “forever home”) I built with my husband, raised my children, and would spend my last days rocking grandchildren on the front porch. This version of my future filled me with contentment and all the warm-fuzzies.

Obviously, God has a different plan for me. I accept that and I trust that, even though I mourn the loss of that vision that had become such a part of me. Sometimes, you must make space to grieve the loss of a future that you once envisioned. Make space for the grief. Feel fully the pain of regret for things that just don’t turn out the way you expected.Sit in the pain and sorrow. Cry. Feel. Move in and amongst it. Examine it. Give those dreams a big, tight hug. Make peace with their parting. Then let them go.

Things changed. You changed and so did others. It hurts but now it’s time to grow. Your life and purpose must be addressed. It’s time to grow where you have been planted. Here, we make lemonade from the lemons we’ve been handed. We learn, we adjust, we adapt, we live to learn some more. Perspective is gained.

If, like me, you’ve held a vision or expectation for a part of your life that hasn’t unfolded exactly as you imagined, I hope you can find comfort in this: there is often a plan at work, one far greater and better than we could have anticipated. Be thankful. Trust God. Trust His process. Trust in your resilience and, of course, your ability to make lemonade.