by Barbara Kasey Smith

Created on: January 28, 2009

Dealing with life's ups and downs can sometimes make you feel as though you are working a giant puzzle and you cannot possibly fit the pieces together. You scratch your head and ponder, "Where does this piece go?" Don't allow anyone to tell you, "Life is like a beautiful bunch of red roses," because life is a struggle for most of us as soon as we reach first grade, and it will continue to work like a huge see-saw of ups and downs. "No" one comes into this life with a promise of a great life and that everything will flow nice and easy.

Everyone on this earth lives their lives in this sort of state. One day we can be setting on top of the world and the next day we can be rapped with multiple problems that we do not know what we will do. Sometimes it is financial, and then again, it can be a drastic illness in one's family. We have to live our lives on a daily basis and live it in "faith and hope" that we can overcome terrible situations. We can never give into the many problems plaguing life's paths. We need to face our trials and tribulations directly in the face and plod forward in faith that we can succeed. When you live with a belief in God, you will never fail, there will always be a "hope" for another day, another month, another year.

I'm a firm believe that "we" learn from life's ups and downs and it also better prepares us for things to come in our future. When we've suffered through trials and tribulations in life, it makes us stronger and able to face complex situations that come our way in our lives. If we go around being babied all our lives, we'll not be able to face any hardship that comes our way. It's like a child that has been fed from a golden spoon all their lives, they usually always fall flat on their face in their adult life because they had not been use to facing dilemma's in their life.

Many times in life, I've thought, "How much more can I take? If someone doesn't come to my rescue, I'm at the end of my rope and I don't believe I can go on." Allow me to tell you my readers, if I had not had "faith and hope" life would sure have been miserable for me and I would have probably given up. In my later years, I've rubbed my brow many times, and said, "God prepared me for the situation I'm now facing...it made me a stronger person and a person who could face the hardships in my life.

People never give up when you face life's ups and downs, there's always a light that will meet you at the end of the tunnel and greet you with a welcoming smile. You'll realize this journey made you stronger, gave you the will to not give up, taught you several lessons, and gave you a reason to be thankful you stepped forward and didn't give up.

Learn more about this author, Barbara Kasey Smith.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.