In my earlier years I struggled with feeling a weight of responsibility for not only my own faith, but also that of my family and my friends. In many ways I tried to control and push my thoughts and agenda their way to "encourage" them to be how I thought they should be according to my narrow view of God. When my family and friends did not respond or change their thoughts and actions, I would take it personally and feel a sense of failure and pressure to try to take hold and evoke even more control and will. However, it seemed the harder I pushed and worked to push my will upon them, the further away and less they seemed to respond, which added to my feeling of failure and sense of burden. Looking back, I believe that most of the time my actions were done with good intent and with a desire in my heart to see them build a relationship with God, however, with my approach, something was missing. Now that I am older and have overcome a number of life's trials, God has helped to re-shape my perspective and make clear to me his provision with and for my family and friends. He has shown me that it is not by my will, but His that my family and friends will come to know and walk with Him. He has shown me that the weight and responsibility is not mine alone to bear and that it is not within my control. Rather, I can rest in knowing that God can and will provide for each one of my family and friends in His way and in His timing, as he has also done for me. He has shown me a better way to supporting them. . .not by me or through my will and control, but by Him, His Will, and within His control. He has provided me comfort that I can pray and ask for His will to be done in their lives. . .I can be an example of what walking in faith with God looks like. . .I can be there to support them, as His light, when life's trials come. . .and I can trust that God cares immeasurably more for each of them than I can imagine.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

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