i cannot force someone to change (and that hurts sometimes).

God gave me a huge heart for others. I have a natural desire to help others and sometimes it leaves me completely heartbroken.

I want to see my friends and others around me happy and healthy and whole. I want them to know their value and choose things that bring life instead of hurt. I want them to feel loved and cherished and chosen.

But as much as I want these things for the people I love, I cannot force them to change. And that is a hard truth for me to swallow.

I hate that feeling of helplessness - when you have to idly sit by and watch someone you love continuously run back to the things that bring them pain. But their journey is their's to walk, not mine.

God has been working on me a lot these past few months. I have this bad habit of taking on responsibility for the well-being of my friends, but God is teaching me that I cannot save people. I cannot force someone to change.

What can I do?

I can pray. I can go to God daily with the burdens I am carrying for the people that I love. I can let go of the worry that leaves me empty and cling to the promise that He will bring healing and restoration.

I can speak truth. I cannot change someone, but I can speak truth and encouragement into someone. And in my experience, those two things have transformational power.

I can extend grace. When I am feeling frustrated with their skewed thinking patterns or unhealthy behaviors, I can choose to extend grace. This is hard - really hard. But grace speaks louder than criticism.

I can love. By loving and appreciating them for who they are (faults included) and who they can be, I can give them a glimpse of God's love for them. And that, friends, is pretty awesome.