Good Morning Family,
I hope things are going well for you today. As for me things are quite well today, so I cannot complain at all.You know, God has a funny way of bringing things to your attention. Let me explain.
Yesterday morning, I was just leaving the house when I saw someone standing at a bus stop and you know how our brains do. One thing that we see can trigger an entire day dream. For me, it lead me to thinking how much I really dislike waiting and/or depending on other people. It was at that moment the Holy Spirit convicted me and I felt like a scorned child. Before I get into what I learned, let me tell you how I got the way that I am.
Every since age 11, I have been working and paying into Social Security. My first job was delivering papers. If I wasn't doing that then I was hustling, mowing 2 to 3 lawns every weekend at about $15 a pop. I worked all during high school and spent a lot of my time at work paying off both of the cars I had during that time. I learned that if I worked hard enough, I can get what I wanted, even if I had to wait for it. What was the problem? Well, nothing was wrong with learning good work ethics. The problem is that I learned not to depend on other people and to do it myself. For me it was easier that way and plus I did not have to wait on them.
Granted, I have eased up a lot especially since our family's ordeal through all of 2009 and part of 2010. I learned that I needed people, but my thought yesterday must have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Maybe I regressed and the Holy Spirit couldn't take it any more. In 1 John 4:20-21 it says,
Yes, I know these two verses are talking about love, but for me, waiting and depending on someone boils down to trusting that person to come through for me. I know we are not to place our trust and hope in man because he can and will change. I know that God never changes and remains the same yesterday, today, and forever, but.......how difficult is it to trust God who we cannot see, but cannot trust a brother or sister whom we see daily? It is the part about seeing God vs our brother that relates my thoughts to the verses.
Now, all people are not bad people and there are many people who are trustworthy and very dependable. When you put a wall of distrust between you and everyone else, it is difficult for even God to gain your trust because you subliminally put Him on the same level (at least until He comes through for you one or two times). Lack of good practice, can form bad habits. If we cannot practice waiting and depending on other people, then we will be in the bad habit of relying on ourselves, then what happens when we fall short?
I am not advocating you to become lazy and totally depend on folks for all of your needs all the time. This is not what I am saying. You still need to lace up them boot straps and work hard, however, no one can do everything alone. We need other people in our lives to help us along the way. That's why God made Eve for Adam, peanut butter for jelly, and hush puppies for chopped BBQ. They all work together for a common good. You may feel like you can do it all by yourself, but I promise you, there will come a time when you will need someone for something. God made us that way, so get use to it.
Be blessed folks!
Regards,
Antoine E. Hall
Blog: http://toinebo.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AntoineHall
"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." - 2 Samuel 22:33
I hope things are going well for you today. As for me things are quite well today, so I cannot complain at all.You know, God has a funny way of bringing things to your attention. Let me explain.
Yesterday morning, I was just leaving the house when I saw someone standing at a bus stop and you know how our brains do. One thing that we see can trigger an entire day dream. For me, it lead me to thinking how much I really dislike waiting and/or depending on other people. It was at that moment the Holy Spirit convicted me and I felt like a scorned child. Before I get into what I learned, let me tell you how I got the way that I am.
Every since age 11, I have been working and paying into Social Security. My first job was delivering papers. If I wasn't doing that then I was hustling, mowing 2 to 3 lawns every weekend at about $15 a pop. I worked all during high school and spent a lot of my time at work paying off both of the cars I had during that time. I learned that if I worked hard enough, I can get what I wanted, even if I had to wait for it. What was the problem? Well, nothing was wrong with learning good work ethics. The problem is that I learned not to depend on other people and to do it myself. For me it was easier that way and plus I did not have to wait on them.
Granted, I have eased up a lot especially since our family's ordeal through all of 2009 and part of 2010. I learned that I needed people, but my thought yesterday must have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Maybe I regressed and the Holy Spirit couldn't take it any more. In 1 John 4:20-21 it says,
(20) If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (21) And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Yes, I know these two verses are talking about love, but for me, waiting and depending on someone boils down to trusting that person to come through for me. I know we are not to place our trust and hope in man because he can and will change. I know that God never changes and remains the same yesterday, today, and forever, but.......how difficult is it to trust God who we cannot see, but cannot trust a brother or sister whom we see daily? It is the part about seeing God vs our brother that relates my thoughts to the verses.
Now, all people are not bad people and there are many people who are trustworthy and very dependable. When you put a wall of distrust between you and everyone else, it is difficult for even God to gain your trust because you subliminally put Him on the same level (at least until He comes through for you one or two times). Lack of good practice, can form bad habits. If we cannot practice waiting and depending on other people, then we will be in the bad habit of relying on ourselves, then what happens when we fall short?
I am not advocating you to become lazy and totally depend on folks for all of your needs all the time. This is not what I am saying. You still need to lace up them boot straps and work hard, however, no one can do everything alone. We need other people in our lives to help us along the way. That's why God made Eve for Adam, peanut butter for jelly, and hush puppies for chopped BBQ. They all work together for a common good. You may feel like you can do it all by yourself, but I promise you, there will come a time when you will need someone for something. God made us that way, so get use to it.
Be blessed folks!
Regards,
Antoine E. Hall
Blog: http://toinebo.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AntoineHall
"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." - 2 Samuel 22:33
