I’ve spent half my life in this town of Colorado—nearly all my adult life. I came to visit family in this town as a child and never cared for it because of the desert brown surroundings that was a far cry from the many green trees I was used to. Now that I’m getting ready to leave this town and move to the lush green area God has for us, I find myself reflecting back on the past 22 years that I’ve called this town home.

I drove into town with my belongings, a fearful and pain-filled young adult. The brown desert view reflected how I felt inside. Running, scared, and confused, I tried to create a new life for myself. Pain was the roommate I could never kick out the first 22 years, no matter how hard I tried. I remember telling my mentor, When will this pain ever end?

Looking back, my time in this town has felt like a rebuilding process–a time of assessing the damage, cleaning out the mess, and rebuilding. To be quite honest, every step of the way felt torturous, but I was relentless to keep on. God never dropped me but held me close to His side. I see now His constant presence was what kept me going.

Slowly, trials and obstacles turned into one step of obedience to God at a time out of the darkness. Pain and chaos vanished and joy and peace arrived. Fear melted away while trust in God emerged.

The frail but spitfire of a young woman I was first driving into town that day in May of 1990, feels like a distant memory. It’s hard to imagine myself where I used to be … but what is crystal clear is the reality of my life that God transformed.

I leave this town not feeling remodeled, but rebuilt. God didn’t just throw on a coat of paint in my life to cover up imperfections. He stripped me down to the bare dirt ground—not to inflict pain—but so he could begin to rebuild my foundation and framework to create the woman He desired me to be.

As I move forward to the next phase of this journey called life that God has for me, I’m energized, hopeful, excited, and can’t wait to see what God has next. It’s a start in a new chapter of my life’s story.

Take time today to reflect back on your life. It may be you’d rather forget segments, but don’t skip over. God was there in those times … lovingly waiting for you. Don’t miss an opportunity to remember what God has done in your life.