Scripture says, “God will give you beauty for ashes.” Ashes represent the broken dreams, the failures, the disappointments, and the hurts. Here's the key: a person has to let go of the ashes before they can receive the beauty. If you do not let go of the old, you will not receive the new. I have learned that most relationships are not permanent. Some people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. In my life, I went through a relationship that I thought would last a lifetime; however, the relationship became a toxic one that I needed to let go of. 

In January of 2017, I experienced my first heartbreak. I was in a relationship with one of my best friends for two years. He played a major role in my life from junior year to senior year. We would spend every possible minute together. He was the person I went to when I was having a hard time. When I was going through family issues, he was my shoulder to cry on. He gave me supportive advice, and always encouraged me to do better.  He was the person to always make me laugh, until he became the person who always made me cry. We would have immature fights about him going out rather than spending time with me, and then rumors started to come about of him “talking” to other girls. The small, rare fights soon turned to huge fights that happened every other week. We had problems with trust and communication, which play major roles in relationships.

When the new year rolled around, we had become incredibly distant, and the relationship we were once in, became a part of our past. We were both entering new stages of our lives, transitioning from high school to college. We both knew that our time together was coming to an end, so we ended our relationship. I was absolutely heart broken. My first relationship that I thought was going to last forever ended. I was hurt, disappointed, and frustrated with myself. I felt that if I had worked a bit harder or had done something differently that maybe we could have lasted longer. I later realized that this was all a part of God’s plan for me. I took the lemons I was given, and I made lemonade.

Looking back, I noticed that I took that relationship too seriously. I treated our relationship as if we were married. From my experience, I learned to live in the moment and allow myself to enjoy the good times with family and friends. I was able to focus more on myself and appreciate the life that God has blessed me with. I think the problems that weigh heavy on a person's heart often times shade them away from enjoying the good life that God has bestowed on them. However, we can not let life’s road bumps take away our sunshine. I prayed with God for Him to bring me better days, and that is exactly what He has done for me. God has a reason for allowing events to happen in His time. We may never understand His wisdom but we simply have to trust His will and know that He has good intentions for all of us.

In conclusion, I am genuinely thankful for the good and bad in my life. Every experience became a life lesson. I now have a lasting friendship and bond with my ex. We are able to be friends and enjoy each other’s company. I truly believe that God places people in a person’s life for a reason. Letting go and letting God can lead to better and brighter situations. With that being said, these “better and brighter” situations are what God has in plan for me, so I will continue to follow his plan.