One Step Forward

I watched as the first rain drops fell slowly. It very quickly went from a slow drizzle to a torrent and hard downpour. As hard as it was raining I did not mind and barely noticed. Being wet and soaked to my bones actually made me feel a whole lot better. I find it ironic how life often will give you what you desire when you ask. However when you receive it you find it is barely all you thought it would be. This was one of those days for me.

I had desperately wanted to get my own place and move away from home. I had become restless and felt it was time to have my independence. I had made all of my decisions without any consultation but regardless, they were my decisions. I had already bought my own vehicle and did not have any problems with my payments. I decided to have my mortgage refinanced so I could move out on my own. I was so excited when I first applied and even more elated when I had received my approbation. I was finally on my way and would be my own man.

I thought I had covered all my necessary considerations. My car was being repaired at the moment, and even that had did not dampen my spirits. I had been catching the bus for two weeks and sometimes it was tiresome. However even public transit could not ruin my day today. I was getting my money and would be able to get my own place. I was finally making headway in my life and taking my steps forward to being completely independent.

I stopped just short of falling. I did not see the piece of wood protruded in the street due to the level of the precipitation. I righted myself and I continued walking in the rain toward home. At this time home was my Grandmother and Grandfather’s house, where I grew up. I barely recalled what the loan officer had said about the mortgage. The only thing that stuck out in my mind was the new interest rate and the amount of time it would take to pay the additional monies back. I felt foolish. I was so excited by my newly conceived freedom that I did not consider or ask everything I needed too. I looked to heaven and asked God if this was a cruel joke for me simply wanting my own freedom.

 A week turned into two and I had reclaimed my vehicle and had begun my search for my own apartment. Even though I had felt originally discouraged by my new mortgage and could have made better decisions how I went about getting out, I was moving forward. It was one bump in the road but I keep focused on gaining my sense of independence and to my step forward.

A Moment of Clarity

In Philippians 3:14 Paul states ‘I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ... from the ... with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus!’ Paul understood that life would not always be straight forward and that no matter how well you planned life would bring you unexpected surprises. Even with all he went through nonetheless he keep his eyes, heart and mind fixed on his true goal and purpose which was to see Christ at the end of his journey.

Not every day will be a day you feel like smiling. Not every day you will feel elated and that life is a wonderful journey. Yet it is just that a journey. Like any journey you will have your highs and lows, valleys and mountain tops but regardless, trust in God and always press forward.

God knows our strengths and weaknesses, better than we know them ourselves. Yet we are constantly encouraged to trust God even though we will encounter troubles. Yet God know this is for us to learn not just to trust but also for us to grow and keep us moving forward and not becoming complacent in our comfort zones.

Some lessons are so much harder to learn and comprehend than others. Sometimes we feel alone and deserted like no one understands, yet God understand. Even then we are encouraged if we cannot stand to stand and press forward. For even though life’s journey will test us sometimes to the point we feel destitute of strength all we can do is take our journeys and move forward one step at a time.  Press forward I encourage you as you work towards your goals and purpose in life and be grateful for each moment of life you are given and learn to be everyday a Beacon of Light.

Beam of Light for the Week 

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Push Towards your goals one step at a time.

Walking A Mile

I looked down at the ground as I walked my long journey home. It was already dark and it looked as it was going to rain. Frustrated, I cursed under my breath to myself. Here I was walking my bike home with a busted tire. I had laughed at a friend a day ago and called him stupid because he was riding in the rain and had gotten a flat because he dropped in a pot hole filled with water and did not see what had ruptured his tire. Now a day later I am walking home with my own bicycle miles from home and not  even a gas station or tire shop nearby so I can get a patch. I felt so foolish for riding so far by myself with no patch kit but even more so for laughing at my friend in his misfortune.

As I stood on the bank line I wondered why my mind had gone back to that particular memory.  Behind me a woman was clamoring on and on about the service in the bank. She had started to complain until the bank manager eventually came out and was trying to assist the number of tellers that were serving.  A number of other customers had started in with her, which only encouraged the woman to increase her volume.  Little by little I was getting irritated with her constant complaints. I understood the frustration of waiting on the line wanting to be served. However, I knew from experience also the frustration of being a teller and having the customers use you as their target of frustration when there was nothing you could do to speed up the process.

Being a teller was already frustrating trying to work both quickly and accurately, especially when there were only few of you working the line. Most customers came to do one or two transactions, however there were some whose request could take more than a few minutes especially if it was a large transaction.  Regardless of who comes to assist it still only leaves the limited number of tellers to serve and enter the transactions. If you rush, you make errors and customers who want you to work quickly are not very understanding of you making mistakes on their accounts. As a teller you have no control over when your co-workers take breaks or even how much staff you work with. A more friendly and professional demeanor is something that each customer deserves.  I will be hard pressed to lie if I said I wanted to smile with every customer, when I have my supervisors rushing me, the customers rushing me and using me for their target of angry protest.

Ironically, when the customer behind me finally reached the counter she smiled with the teller and told her not to mind the other customers. I walked out of the bank completely appalled by her hypocrisy. Later at a government institution I saw the same customer who was behind me in the bank. Apparently she worked customer service and her customers here were none too happy with the speed of her service.  My mind flashed both to the bank and my friend years ago and I realized how important compassion and patience for others can be and important it is to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.

A Moment of Clarity

When the leaders of Israel brought to Christ a woman caught in adultery to see how he would judge or condemn her, he ignored them. Instead of answering their questions Jesus began to write on the ground and continued to ignore them. As they got bolder in their demands and asked him what should be done, he simply answered he who is without sin cast the first stone. On the ground the leaders recognized what Jesus was actually writing was a list of sins and as each one recognized something they were guilty of they walked away ashamed, embarrassed or just angry at Jesus’s actions.

We see our brothers and sisters daily caught up in a number of situations and so easily say, “That would never be me.”  Forgetting it is truly only God’s grace and guidance that has helped us not to step left or right where we would have easily found ourselves in the same predicament or event worse. As none of us is perfect, but on a journey of spiritual perfection, we must remember Christ words not to judge, lest we be judged in the same manner.

It requires patience and love for us to walk a mile in our brothers or sisters shoes to get a true understanding of what another is going through. In addition we all have our crosses to bear and what is one person’s burden today becomes their testimony tomorrow and pillar of strength in the future to help someone else overcome the same.  I encourage you today to be patient with one another and love each other, be not quick to be judgmental and learn to be everyday a Beacon of Light.

Beam of Light for the Week 

It is easy to judge when we have never been in someone’s circumstance. Remember not to judge, least we be judged by the same standard we use and find ourselves in the same situation.