dailydatewithgod

“They”(whomever “they” are ;o)) say that what you tell other people is what you need to hear yourself.  Lately I have been talking about my experience when I used to teach middle schoolers.  The primary job of a young person at that age is to test and push boundaries and I was always fascinated by the fervor with which these young people would keep pressing for what they wanted.  Usually it showed up when they didn’t want to do something  or they hadn’t done something they were supposed to do and had an excuse as to why they should not suffer the consequences of their actions.  I taught in a predominantly upper class school in my last years as a teacher and was told by more than one that when they exhibited this behavior worked with others in their life.  They were often mystified by how I would hold out with a firm “no”.  I knew from not always being that way that consistency was what they needed more than anything.  Not to mention the example of being a person of my word.  Also, if I made an exception for one student, the rest would soon be lined up with their elaborate excuses.  I was no means perfect at this and would sometimes get caught in the worry of them not liking me, but in the end I knew in my heart of hearts that what they needed was to be able to count on the consistency.  Being that age, life is amuck–you have all these new hormones coursing through your body, you feel older but aren’t old enough yet to be given adult responsibilities, you are beginning to differentiate yourself from your family, the people you are closest to are going through the same ups and downs but nobody really talks about what is going on so your relationships fluctuate–it’s a crazy time of life.  Honestly, I think it is a miracle that we survive our pubescent period of life.  When all of that is going on, I knew from experience that they needed some level of consistency. In my classroom the rules were the rules, when I said yes or no, I meant it, and I would hold them to the standard and push them to be more than their excuses.  Teaching is a rather thankless job because you spend most of  your time planting seeds and the students don’t stick around long enough for you to see them grow.  Sometimes I think back and wonder if I made any kind of impact, I hope and pray that I did.  I believe that God is consistent and he models that for us through those who throughout history have followed Him.  Jesus was always consistent in thought and deed, as was Buddha and Muhammad, not to mention great leaders like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Lincoln.  In their realm of purpose they kept their eyes on the prize.  I think they were able to do that because they stayed connected to what was important to them at their core.  I cannot speak to how they lived in every part of their lives, but in their main message and purpose they did not waver.  I am pretty sure that Jesus never said, forgive one another except when . . .  Actually, when asked how many times we are to forgive, he said 7×70, meaning as many times as you need to.  What areas of your life do you stop doing if it doesn’t work out the way you want the first few times?  What would have happened if the makers of 409 gave up at the 406th trial of their cleaning product? No one said it would be easy to live our purpose, but it is always simple. Stay on the path, embrace the opportunities life hands you to throw you off the path and use that as a time to grab hold of the Creator who is walking with you on the path that was created just for you.  Stopping and questioning if the path you are pursuing is the “right” one for you is part of the path.  It is in those moments of questioning and doubt that we can further clarify ourselves and our intentions.  It does not automatically mean give up, perhaps it is calling for an attitude adjustment (clearly I need to be hearing these words right now).  I need God’s help with my attitude adjustment and I need a reassurance that I am headed in the right direction or be open to the idea that I had to start on this path to get me onto the path that I meant to go on. If I truly trust God that I will be okay no matter what then I do not have to be tied to the outcomes because in the end I will be closer to God and to myself which is the ultimate path.  In the meantime, I put one foot in front of the other and I keep on going.  My prayer for you today is that you find an area of your life where you easily give up instead of persisting and ask God to help you clarify if the desire to give up is a bump, a redirect, or veering into another path.  Listen closely for the answer that comes with tremendous love.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

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