Life's Difficulties are Stepping Stones to Deeper Faith

“Faith grows with age and the difficulties in life are stepping stones to your faith because at some point you realize that you're not alone and you can't do it alone.”

Below is a snippet of a conversation with Jane Kiser, 75, founder and creator of “Lala’s Life Lessons”, a popular Instagram account where she shares a daily inspirational quote. Jane emphasizes the importance of hospitality and community, the power of kindness, and the need to continually tend the garden of your mind. If you prefer listening, you can listen to the full conversation on Apple, Spotify or watch on YouTube.

What have you learned about God that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

I think it's so important to realize that if your faith, when you're in your 20s, is marginal, don't give up on that because I think God matures us as we get older and face lots of things in life that young people don't necessarily face. If you feel like you are not a committed Christian, but you sort of believe in God, don't worry. You will need God and He will show up for you. Faith grows with age and the difficulties in life are stepping stones to your faith because at some point you realize that you're not alone and you can't do it alone.

What’s the most important lesson the Lord has taught you over the years?

I think that being patient with yourself and not judgmental to where you are in your life and realizing that life is a journey and that you're on the journey, but you're not necessarily as mature as you're going to be. But, you don't need to worry about that because God takes care of that.

And I just feel like young people don't need to be so hard on themselves about, ‘I'm not doing this’ and ‘I'm not doing that.’ And just realize that they are maturing as they grow. And so therefore they really shouldn't be concerned about if they're faithful enough or if they love God enough and all those kinds of things. Realize that God's got them in the palm of the hand and He’s guiding them whether they realize it or not.

And I love James Allen and [his book] As a Man Thinketh and the whole concept of you mind as a garden and what you grow. You can grow beautiful things or you can neglect it and get weeds, and whatever is in there is going to come out. It's going to be beautiful thoughts and flowers and good things, or it's going to be weeds and nastiness and things that you don't want to even contemplate. But they grow in your mind because you're not tending the garden of your mind. And that has really meant a lot to me to think about what I think about all the time.

I don't even know if he was a Christian, but he had a lot of wisdom about what goes on in your head comes out of your mouth and how to really contemplate happy and good thoughts as opposed to letting the mind go in the gutter, which is what he sees is the weeds in the garden that will manifest. One way or other, it can manifest good or bad.

What’s been one of the most popular quotes you’ve shared on “Lala’s Life Lessons”?

One of the quotes that has been extremely popular…was like, you don't have any idea how the kindness that you give today will make a difference in somebody's life, and they'll remember that moment for a long time. And so to be open to everybody around you and just noticing them and honoring them with a smile or a gesture, anything, makes such a difference.

I just think everybody you touch is sent to you for a reason. And you can give them love, or you can give them hate, it’s your choice on a day-to day, second to-second basis. And of course, it's the hardest for me to be really sweet to the people I'm closest to because I know they'll accept me, and they know me. It's a caveat that it's easier to be nicer to strangers than it is to somebody very close to you.

Other words of wisdom?

I would like to just encourage people to be open to the fact that there is a bigger power, and He is benevolent, and He is God, and He is watching, and He does care, and He gives unconditional love to you at any time, anywhere with no judgment.

That doesn't mean He doesn't want you to be responsible for your life and just go willy-nilly…He does want you to be responsible in your decisions and things like that.

But to just have that kind of power that is here and good and powerful and helping you every step of the way of your life is just so empowering for young people not to have to worry about, you know, is there anything up there who cares at all? Yes, there is, and His will be done. And when you get that feeling that God is nudging you, try to take it because he's leading you to something extraordinary.

Where does the “good way” lie (Jeremiah 6:16)?

Well, following Christ, being a follower of Christ. All of the decisions you make, all of the conversations you have, everything in your life should be based on what He did and how He did it. And that's extremely hard to do. But that, to me, is where I'm trying to go with my life, follow the King and try to be like Him as much as possible. And I follow extremely short of that. Obviously everybody does, but just to have that as the goal, it's important.

Favorite scripture:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Listen to the full conversation on Apple, Spotify or watch on YouTube.

Thank you for being here,

Katharine

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P.s. If you have the financial means to support this ministry, I’d be so grateful, as it will allow me to continue these conversations to pass on wisdom and faith to future generations. I thank you truly, kindly and sincerely.

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