Welcome to my readers! Welcome to Maranatha blogs where we explore God’s heart for us during this season. As I always say, this platform is a place for us to shoulder each other on our walk with Christ as we await his return. I use my practical life experiences to bring across the heart of God for us. If this is the first time you are hearing about Jesus Christ, you are also welcomed here.
” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phillipians 4:13).” A scripture that got me through being a full time law student and employee. But I will not talk about my latter years, I will take you back to a story of my former years that has set the pace for overcoming the muckiest seasons of my life. So if you’re in a funk today this blog will dig you right out of it. We are all about to be schooled by my thirteen year old self (or twelve, I can’t recall but it was between 12-14). Let’s just say twelve.
It was primary five graduation day and I was sitting in my chair admiring a brilliant gold cup trophy. I’d been given the title ‘ third highest achiever’ of my school at the time. They called my name and boy was I excited. I could not believe the giant gold cup I had been glaring at the whole time was brought there just for me. As I sat in my seat I read the label which was marked “Perseverance.” I only realized the depth of this moment years later. The only thing I knew in that moment was that I got the shiny gold cup I had my eyes on the whole time. A little back story is that I’d just moved to the island, I’d had no former knowledge of the history of the island and I’d been tasked with learning a new curriculum. The culture was strange, the school was new and it took me a long time to find the two best friends I’d had at the time. To add to my shot, I had not met the qualifications to become valedictorian or salutatorian. I’d have to be at the school more than a stipulated amount of years. My teacher told my mother that it was the first time they gave a trophy like this and created it just for me. I’d defied the odds of my circumstance having not attended the full time like the others. They’d admired my perseverance. I was resilient, it was worth unprecedented awarding.
Fast forward into my teens and adulthood, I always go back to that time. It pushes me every time I hit a funk. You have the ability to beat the odds stacked against you. As the scripture says you can do all things through Christ. God shows up in so many ways and he uses the people around us to help. At that time in my life, it had been a little old lady (among many), who was our neighbor. She had retired from teaching and was kind enough to take the time to give me past exam papers and marked them. I’m now a major coffee gal, but back then I’d been hiding jolly ranchers and twister bars in my printer from my mom, it gave me the hyper kick I had needed to study.
I don’t know what your sticky wickets are in this season but I’m here to tell you today to be resilient, persevere and beat the odds. If there’s opposition keep going whether it means going under, over, through, around or even diverting. Perseverance also looks like shutting old doors to allow new ones to open. Perseverance looks like waiting and having patience. Perseverance looks like starting over. Perseverance looks like going back to the drawing board when our plan does not work. Perseverance looks like new vision, new boldness and a whole lot of nerve to invade spaces we thought we’d never be. It looks like continuing struggles our previous generations were unable to overcome. It looks like being able to get up out of bed in the morning and surviving a new day. Whatever is fitting for this season of your life you can go on, you can continue. You can do all things through Jesus Christ. You can commit and you can persevere.
God has a plan for your life and he needs you here in order to do it. You can dare to believe that he is who he says he is. As long as you can breathe there is purpose. You can beat the odds. You were placed here on earth for such a time as this. Keep going! God will strategically align you will the tools, people and places required to get you where he needs you. Keep your eyes open, heart inclined to prayer and be as tenacious as you can possibly imagine. Strength, endurance and continuance may not overwhelm you in abundance for the multitude of time. It may be strength for today. Then strength for tomorrow. Then strength for the next. All in the same strength! Slow and steady.
Maranatha 