Trials are opportunities

Sometimes you just have to let all your expectations, dreams, hopes, and plans shatter on the ground. Then stomp on them. Because let's be honest, life NEVER turns out the way you expect it to, or the way you want it to. It is full of change (unexpected and expected). I like to think that we're all on a hike of life, and on this hike, there are caves, rivers, mountains, hills, trees, rocks, and cliffs. Nobody is exempt from these obstacles, even though they move, change shape, and randomly appear/disappear at will. Most of them are just part of the trail, but some are made by the choices we make.
There are people out there that are easy to look at and think they have it all figured out, or made for them, or handed to them. That their lives are perfect. And you wish your life was like theirs. But behind closed doors, we have NO idea what trials they are facing.
I remember working at an insurance office, and part of my duties were filing the claims and reports once and agent was done with them. But all these files had to be labeled and put in specific hard copy files so they could be referred to at any time (in paper or computer form). Of course, it's easy to save things on the computer, but some of these files were huge, and I had to save them in boxes store for safe keeping on the off chance they would need them again (just in case). Well, while I was working there, I found out a lot about people I knew who had the "perfect" lives (from the outside). But by seeing their insurance claims, I found out they had their fair share of trials to deal with, that went unseen by their neighbor's eye. It really helped me to understand that we all have trials, not matter how okay we look on the outside. In fact, it's usually the people who are the happiest, or put on the happiest face, that have some of the greatest trials. Why is that?
Anyway, there is a point in all of this. I guess my point is, that life is full of surprises, and that it's better to be flexible, roll with the punches, and open to God's hand in our lives, than trying to control and determine everything. I mean, if we turn things over to God, and trust Him, having faith that He can do more with our lives than we can, then we will be pleasantly surprised. It's when we give up trying to control everything and everyone around us that we become the happiest. In our freedom is when we learn who we are and what we can truly handle/do with our lives. Maybe that's the secret those happy people have figured out. That trials make them stronger. To trust God through it all. To give it all to God. To have faith. That we're all in this together. That life is short, so it's best to live it with a smile. Whatever the secret, it's inspiring to see people triumph through their trials.
The reason why I'm writing about change and trials is because we have some big changes coming up in our lives. We view the trials as opportunities, and even though some of these opportunities require extra hard work or faith, they help us grow. Here's to growth! We must need it, because it's happening again.