Just a word of encouragement…
Your journey may not be the same as someone else’s, but your journey is necessary for your growth and to get you to your purpose. While I was married 24 years ago, I don’t have the testimony of being married for 24 years. My parents were married for 58 years when the Lord took momma home to be with Him. I wanted that same testimony of a long successful marriage; but that is not my journey. I used to feel some kind of way about that, and there would be tinge of disappointment in my heart when I would scroll through Facebook and see others posting about their long and beautiful marriages, along with their silver and golden anniversaries. However, I have come to realize over time that just because I can’t boast of that, it does not make my journey any less significant or any less beautiful than someone else’s journey. My journey is necessary to get me to my destiny. And while our paths may differ, they are all getting us to the purpose that God has ordained for each of us. Don’t despise your journey!
So let me encourage someone today. Maybe your path has taken you through some dark days. Maybe your child did not finish school with all A’s, while others are bragging about their kid’s wonderful accomplishments. Maybe you have experienced sickness in your body, while others are declaring that they are in the best shape of their lives at 60 years of age. Maybe you are having some serious difficulties losing weight while others are posting skinny pictures and bragging that they lost 50 pounds in 50 days. Whatever your situation or circumstance may be, know today that God has a purpose for your pain. He has already made you a promise and secured it by His Word which is settled in heaven. I’m not here to condone laziness and apathy where you just sit back and let life happen to you…but sometimes you just make a mistake, a bad decision. Sometimes LIFE HAPPENS to you and you have NO CONTROL over it. Your mother/father becomes sick with cancer when, in your mind, they’re superhuman and are not supposed to get sick. Your husband looses his job which now threatens your way of life. Your wife looses her mind which puts you in a precarious position, because the saints are not supposed to have mental issues. Your son becomes addicted to drugs, or your teenage daughter becomes pregnant despite how you raised them. You find yourself being a single parent struggling between cash and flow, trying to make ends meet, when you knew 15 years ago that your life was supposed to be so different from your present reality. Don’t despise your journey!
Several years ago while still living in Memphis, I preached a message at my home church entitled “IT HAD TO HAPPEN.” I dealt with the life of Joseph and how everything that he went through HAD TO HAPPEN to get him to his purpose and destiny. People tell you not to share your dreams, because others will try to kill it. Well, Joseph shared his dream with his family and I guess you can say his brothers tried to kill it, but it was NECESSARY for him to share his dream so his brothers could become jealous, throw him in a pit and sell him into slavery. He HAD to become a slave to get to Potiphar’s house. He HAD to be falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife to get thrown into prison, because it was in the prison that he would meet and interpret the dreams of the king’s baker and cupbearer which would ultimately give him audience with Pharaoh to interpret his dream which would result in him becoming second highest in command in all of Egypt. And at the end of the day, despite how his brothers TRIED to kill his dream, their initial actions were NECESSARY for the dream to come to pass. Joseph HAD to walk a difficult path. Everything that happened to him on his journey HAD TO HAPPEN so that he could be positioned for his destiny! Don’t despise your journey!
Trust God as you walk it out! If you have to go back to school at 45, then do it. If you have to become a caretaker for a loved one, allow God to be your strength. If your children stray from the path you raised them on, learn how to release them and leave them in the hands of God. If you have to go to a marriage counselor, swallow your pride and do what you have to do to save your marriage. If you have to start your OWN business, stop stalling and procrastinating and start the process. Maybe your present journey is to catapult you into your next! Don’t despise your journey!
Fantasia sings the song…
“I am who I am today
Because God used my mistakes
He worked it for my good
Like no one else ever could
God told me to tell you
(Everything that you’re going through)
IT WAS NECESSARY”
Don’t despise your journey!
