In the last few years I had to deal with loss quite a bit.
I saw friends losing loved ones, and having nothing but pain leaves you speechless.
I lost relationships I thought I could count on, leaving me disappointed and disillusioned.
I moved and traveled to places, leaving me with a deafening feeling of not belonging anywhere.
I transitioned from university into work life and never imagined this change would impact me so much.
I am losing, or rather rediscovering, my faith and sometimes I feel like walking alone on a wide open sea.
Some of these losses might be normal growth pains of adulthood, but to be honest, it still sucks.
I don’t want to feel lost forever.
In the midst of all the losing I have come to experience a lot of finding as well.
I have come to enjoy rest as a necessary component of my week which helps me to survive.
I have been surprised by people’s hospitality, generosity, and thoughts when I just needed someone to talk or a meal.
I have been amazed by creation’s beauty if I train my eyes and heart to see the beauty in the mundane.
I have practed to be more intentional about people and activities.
I have experienced a freedom in my thoughts and soul that I didn’t know before.
I have learned to seek that quiet peace despite the raging waves around me.
Life certainly is a journey, and there’s probably still more losing ahead of me.
I don’t know what you have lost (no matter how big or small), but I hope that in the midst of all that you’ll never lose sight of finding the simple, the beautiful, the abundant gift of life.
Writing for Five Minute Friday today.
thisiskatha.com 
Sounds like more than anything these losses have been growing your heart to receive more than before. This, I love to hear: “I am losing, or rather rediscovering, my faith and sometimes I feel like walking alone on a wide open sea.” This can only be God: He leads us to these scary places and in so doing stretches and grows us.
But what I read through your loss the most is joy: what I see as heartache being taken captive by hope: God opening our eyes to the unseen in the seen breaking hard. Hard, definitely. But also, adventerous and beautiful.
I’m glad to hear that you can read all that from my writing! You’re right, there are the blessings despite all the hardships, but to be honest, it’s not always that easy to see and find them. Isn’t that the ultimate crux of life? Thanks for coming by and commenting, Anna!
Oh Katha, yes! It can be super hard to find them. Something that helped me recently was to go back to every hard circumstance in the past couple of years and think of the good God has brought out of it! Such a wonderfully encouraging exercise.
I love your conclusions – despite the discomfort and loss, we can always choose to be mindful and focus on the beauty of the world (and life in all its forms) around us. It is a difficult decision sometimes, but such a valuable one.
You’re right about the last bit: It’s a difficult decision to see beyond the loss. I hope we get better at making it. Thanks for coming by, Emma!
Beautiful! Moving and changes are so hard. I too feel like I’ve found awesome things in the midst of the losses. I’m in the #3 spot this week.
That’s good to hear, Tara!
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Makes me think of the song, “We fall down, we get up, we fall down, we get up….” The saints are just the sinners who fall down….and get up. ♥
Yes! It’s important to get back up…no matter how long it takes.