Have You Given Up? Don't You Dare

Here comes Moses. Let my people go, he said. Imagine how Pharaoh felt when the plagues started hitting his little village. Can you imagine being pool side, sipping on your ice cold beverage, looking at the pretty blue water, and then all of a sudden it turns blood red. Red. Blood.  How about them frogs dropping out of the sky? Yeah, that for me would be a major trip. God and his infinite wisdom knows exactly how to get our attention, just as He did with Pharaoh.  Though Moses tried to talk God out of using him, Moses still obeyed. Let my people go, he said. God will cause and allow chaos to usher us into obedience. Hear me, God causes some situations to take place and others He allows.  Pharaoh was so set on the fact that he was not going to do what God told him to do, and he kept right on with his privileged life. Until God threw him a frenzy, like a 360 spinout. It’s really all about knowing the heart of God and His love for us. Just as our earthly parents would admonish us, God does the same.

Hebrews 12:1 NLT - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 

One night back in my younger days, I was headed out on the town. I was dressed to impress. I borrowed a car. I had my drink of choice and a few associates riding along. I was headed 30 miles north to Seattle, Washington, to hit a club called the Empire Plaza. Anyone who has been in the area long enough and back in the 80’s knew about the Empire Plaza. As I hit Interstate 5 and the 56^{th street} on ramp heading north, I swerved a little too hard to the left to avoid another merging car and spun out. It was a double 360. When I finally stopped, I was facing southbound in a northbound lane in the middle of the interstate. Praise God that the oncoming traffic was far enough back that I was able to catch my breath and sanity, and immediately turn around. Needless to say, that event did not scare me enough to cancel that trip. 

Several years later, my niece and I were coming from our night out, also 30 miles away in Seattle, WA. This time as I was entering the off ramp, I was traveling too fast for the curve and began to fish tail violently. After a few seconds of keeping the steering wheel in control, I was able to gain full control and continue home. The common denominator here; I was drinking. I was not drunk, but I am sure if I had been pulled over by the nice State Patrol with their colorful red, blue, and white lights and had to submit to a sobriety test, “GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL.”  The best thing out of these events is that I did not kill myself or anyone else.  I thank God for the protection, I heard it said that God protects babies and fools. I stopped drinking several years later and after a few more wakeup calls that only affected me. No tickets, no accidents, no harm, but mental foul.  These events never left my mind.

My brothers and sisters, we are in the 4^th month of 2018, are you still spinning in circles or have you gained some momentum and focus? I have been struggling, but I am pushing through. Because I am a thinker, I think myself out of doing what I need to do. Are you dragging into this New Year the same distractions, frustrations, and complaints?  Are you comparing your accomplishments or the lack thereof to that of someone else? Are you still procrastinating and making excuses? Have you given up all together? Have you allowed the circumstances of life to stop you from doing what God has called you out to do? Are you speaking negative words, having negative thoughts? Get out of the spin! Stop beating that sad and depressing drum. Turn off the flow of negative energy by doing exactly what God has called only you to do. I don’t know about you, but I have been in a choke hold mentally and physically myself. today, depression and anxiety is not as bad. and I know when to step back and pause. I will talk about pausing in my next post, stay tuned.  Be relentless and keep pushing. Keep working your plans and trust that God is right there with you. Ouch; I just pinched myself and I am still alive, so I’m gonna keep running. 

Be Encouraged