"The Master’s Plan"

Jeremiah 29:11 reads, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Everything God has for you will come to pass as long as your steps lead you back to God. Though you may be led astray, you must always find your way back to Him. As a life application example, let’s consider an inflatable punching bag. When we think of how this bag works, if it is completely filled with air, weighted and planted on a firm foundation, we realize it cannot be easily knocked down. No matter how many times you punch it, the bag will fall back and instantly rise right up. You will exhaust yourself attempting to keep this bag down.

In applying this example to our own lives, no matter how many times the enemy and life’s circumstances attempt to knock you down, and no matter how many mistakes you have made along the way, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, and willing to carry the Lord’s yolk instead of your own, and when you plant your feet on solid ground, you can make like that inflatable punching bag and rise right back up every time you are knocked down. For out of your faith in God, and in your rising up, you guarantee your hope for better things to come.

“Baggage Handlers”

Traveling around the world, or even from state to state, can be a great adventure full of fond memories. However, everything about traveling is not exciting. There are still tedious tasks to accomplish before the fun can begin. One of those tasks, outside of actually packing for the trip, is making sure your baggage arrives at your destination the same time you do; not only that, but ensuring it arrives in excellent condition.

We expect the same handling of our personal baggage. We selfishly want it to be “Handled with Care” by everyone who comes into knowledge of it, because it belongs to us and we want to look good at all times. When we unload our “stuff” onto the Baggage Handlers, we expect them to manage it well; many times even better than we do ourselves. In the real world, we could all stand to take a lesson from the good Baggage Handlers. No one is perfect.

"The Prosperity of Discomfort"

I am sure when you read the title, “The Prosperity of Discomfort”, you became interested to find out how on earth discomfort could make a person prosperous; after all, Webster defines prosperity as: the condition of being successful or thriving. Now let us “ponder” the meaning for a moment… the condition (something necessary or essential for the occurrence of something else) of being successful or thriving. So how do we get this condition? Keep reading…

Needles, instruments used for getting “under our skin”, can be used as a metaphor to represent people who seemed to have suddenly appeared in our lives only to get on our last nerves! Everything about this person annoys us: their mannerisms, appearance, attitude; the way in which they do what they do EVERYTIME that they do. For some reason, we just can not get past OR away from this person; but do we ever stop to consider that maybe this individual is in our lives to help us grow, by challenging us in the very area where we have yet to prosper?

Some words of wisdom were shared with me many years ago, that have stayed with me to this day: “We cannot grow through, unless we go through.” In order for us to learn how to be successful and thriving, we have to get to the “condition” that will challenge and propel us into it. When we are sick, the doctor will diagnose our condition and many times offer a prescription to alleviate our discomfort. The medicine DOES NOT heal our ailment, but it sustains us in it so once the condition runs its course, we will be BETTER. If we want success, we must first face the challenges presented to help us prosper. So tell me… how is the prosperity of YOUR discomfort?

"Rubber Band"

There was once a man who was walking on a lonely, dark street. Suddenly, he looked to his feet and saw a rubber band. The rubber band looked worn from years of use and abuse, but the man decided to keep it. He was certain he would be able to use it one day, so he took it home and placed it safely away.

Years later, that same man needed something to wrap around some old recycled newspapers he was looking to store. He remembered the rubber band and decided today would be the day to use it. He grabbed it out of the box and began to stretch it to prepare it. Suddenly, he heard a small voice yell very loudly, “Hey, you are stretching me too much!” The man replied, “You are a rubber band; strong, resilient, and able to withstand. If I can’t stretch you, I can’t use you.”

Sometimes, God says the same thing about us. When He is ready to use you, will you be ready?

"Smoke Screen"

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, or the flames for the smoke, ‘til we begin to choke. We become blind to what is right before our eyes, and we allow it to destroy us; take our joy from us. We exist with no sense of benefit and accept it because we truly do not believe there is anything better. So we stop the pursuit of happiness, and we remain right where we are, refusing to reach the unreachable star; because it is easier to give in than to attempt the win. We can see the finish line, but our minds are so consumed with insignificance, disguised as confidence, trapping us in a pit again. How on earth do we think anyone will have faith in us, when it is ourselves we fail to trust? May God have mercy on us…

"Damaged Goods"

While grocery shopping one day, I suddenly decided in the middle of my task, that I wanted some canned peaches. I usually do not add additional items to my already complete list, but that day I just had to have them. I made my way to the canned food aisle and to the peaches, and began loading several cans into my cart. Once I got to the register to checkout, I noticed a couple of my cans had dents in them. Now although I am sure there was nothing wrong with the product inside, I just could not rest knowing my cans were damaged. Since I was alone in the store and to avoid causing a hold-up at the register, I politely excused myself from the already very long line, and returned to the canned food aisle.

Once I arrived, I began to check each can I grabbed to make sure they were not damaged. I wanted to make sure I got only the good ones. I am so grateful God does not pass over those of us who are damaged goods in pursuit of only the good ones. Thank you, Jesus for giving your life so that I may be forgiven and once again become one of the “Good Ones”!

"Toxic"

When you hold your breath too long, your body starts producing toxins. The longer you hold your breath (waiting for something to happen), the more deadly the activity becomes. Refusing to breathe can also be an example of what we sometimes do in our personal lives. We allow ourselves to become so attached emotionally, it is likened to making an unhealthy or more so deadly decision to suffocate yourself.

Sometimes we are so consumed with poisonous thoughts, words, deeds or people, that the only way to truly heal from the inside out, is to exhale and release the life draining toxin from our lives. So what has you holding your breath today? Just say, AAAHHH and let it go!! Be determined to love yourself and make your emotional stability a priority!