Early today I took the girls to the Biltmore House to see the farm animals and when we got around to the goats there was one with a cast on it’s leg. My first response was Awe look at the goat and began to feel sorry for it, but there was something on the inside of me that kept saying “Get Up”. I waited around a little to see if he would get up or does he normally just stay in that one spot. One of the workers went in to try and get one of the goats so that the kids could see them up close. Sure enough the goat got up and left. Though it had a limp he didn’t allow it to make him stay where he was. Now no telling how long he has been in a cast and I’m sure he had to learn how to walk all over again, but the fact that he got up proves to me that he kept trying until he was able to do it on his own. There are so many things that can happen in life and if we aren’t careful we will allow it to cripple us to the point that we want get up and move forward. We will make all kind of excuses why we can’t or why we won’t. My question to you is why not? If at first you don’t succeed dust yourself off and try again. I know that it hurts and yes I know how unbarrable it can become, but YOU ARE WORTH IT to try again. You have been given life and an opportunity that some others may never get the chance or opportunity again. Despite your disability don’t allow it to keep you from moving forward. It was through my pain that I found strength and courage. It was through my strength and courage that unlocked my faith that lied from within. No matter how many times I got nocked down or I messed up there was something from within that kept pushing me to get back up again. If a goat can get back up again then what’s your excuse. GET UP!!!
As I reflect back on this year so far with it only being the second month of the New Year what a journey it has already been. A lot of people have experienced the bliss and prosperity of what a New Year can bring while some of us have went into the New Year hurting, experiencing some type of pain, disappointment, frustration or a broken heart due to the loss of a loved one(s), a loss of a job, a relationship of some kind has ended or maybe you are fighting for the life of a child. I can guarantee that whatever you maybe experiencing that most of them were unexpected and they came out of no where. For me and I’m sure like many others of you had your goals and plans already set as you were preparing yourself for what you thought was coming next, but then the unexpected happened that caused your life to somewhat shift. I felt my life falling apart in some areas, but as I began to pull myself together I felt my life coming together in others. After the shock of it all I began to shift my focus and I refused to give up. My mind went back to when I was 17 and I felt like there was no hope for me, that my life was over. So I decided and had made up my mind that day to end my life. I went into my father’s room and stood in his bedroom with the gun that I got out of his drawer and pointed it at my head. I was ready to pull the trigger and then I heard this still small voice say, ” I have better for you.” I kept questioning this voice that kept reasoning with me to make me believe that what’s coming is better. I am now almost 42 years old and though in my life I have had to face many challenges it has been better and yet where I am today is not my final destination it is only apart of my itinerary. Joel 2: 25 says, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworms, and the caterpillars, and the palmer worms, my great army which I sent among you.” I said all of that to say this, though the fight has been great God is greater than anything you may face and His grace is sufficient for you. You might not be able to understand it, able to explain it or even see your way out of it at this moment, but allow your faith which sees beyond where you are right now and know that what’s coming is better. Take your focus off of where you are now and invision where you want to be. It won’t always be like this God will perfect that concerning you and sooner or later it will turn in your favor, is turning around for you.
NEW LIFE 