This past week, dear Danielle and I celebrated being married for two years. It’s been such a wild journey so far. From job changes to moving a long way from home, it feels like it’s been so much longer than two years. I’m thankful to be on this journey, and reflecting on everything, it’s put a new perspective on life. We’re all facing different seasons right now, for some of us, this pandemic has tested us in some tough ways. At the same time, it feels like many distractions were cut away, revealing to each of us what we truly value. It’s an important question to ask ourselves.

What do I value?

What do I need to rearrange to form a new rhythm?

We learned that we value connection. More importantly, connection with each other and connection to Christ. I don’t want my days to be so full, that I forget to give my time to the things I love. While this current year has been hard, it’s been a powerful realization to make sure I focus on what I love. There are things that just don’t need to get in the way of our lives.

We cannot become complacent with the distractions from what we were created for.

During our anniversary, dear Danielle and I looked back at some of the crazy memories over these two years. We went through some highs and lows, but one thing that stuck out was just how much growth we have gone through. Growth doesn’t always feel great, it requires us to have a lot of faith in the midst of discomfort. The effort and the willpower will be tested, and you may be in a season of testing right now, but you have what it takes. Take time during this season to understand what you love, what fuels you and drives you to your potential, and know that this season will grow you into how you cultivate the time.

Since celebrating our anniversary, I’m reminded of what led up to our wedding day. Dear Danielle and I did a lot of the work ourselves, and one of the biggest challenges was our venue. The church I worked at during that time had a piece of land that was great, the only thing was, it was filled with lots of stumps and over grown plant life. Thanks to the help of our friend Jeff, he got the majority of the tough stuff, then it was on me to move and fully clear the land. It was hot and it was tiring, but there was a vision in mind and I knew the hard work would be worth it in the end.

When it was finished I was so thankful for the effort that went in, and it created a beautiful space for the best day of our lives.

It’s easy to get caught up in the weeds, the hard parts of life and the discomfort of the unknown. We cannot let these feelings prevent us from what we have been called to do. God designed you. He made you to be exactly who you are. Your life has a purpose and value; you are worthy of love. The word we made for ourselves this year was, “lover,” because we wanted to love each other and everyone around us well. We have learned that love is powerful and stems from the love of our creator, which means in a season of unknowns, love needs to be our reaction. This season of change and unprecedented events, allow love to be the fuel that grows you closer to who you have been called to be.

Let love be the focus during this season of growth.

-Joshua Thomas

About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a writer by day and superhero by night. When he’s not writing and crimefighting, you can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. The young writer doesn’t fully know what he’s doing, but is enjoying the journey of it all. You can follow his hipster photos and Jack Kerouac musings on Instagram @joshua_thomas__