In the few moments that you read my blog, I could sit here and complain about all the bad things that have happened in life. I could drown you in negativity and depression and at the end we would have the biggest biggest pity party and case of poor me's or poor you's ever.
Do bad things happen. Yes. We know and live the reality of these things every day. Should I drown you in the sucking sound of sorrow that comes from them?
No! That's not fair to you and it's not fair to God. It's not fair to the kindness and generosity and opportunity I've had the joy of experiencing throughout my life. I will tell you that I have 5 awesome children who make me laugh and smile, who I can play with and pray with. I have an awesome wife that I am in love with to this day. I can tell you that I have experienced grace and mercy and such cool and awesome things in my life, that so many people said I wouldn't ever get or touch!
I truly have been so blessed. I didn't graduate from a traditional high-school. I graduated from a homeschool. I worked as a custodian, to help my mom pay bills. I had a gift of study guides on electronics, I read, learned and memorized as much of them as possible. I love to learn, geek that I am. I had a year of college in electrical engineering technology (and later on another semester) with ok grades. Then I went to work full time. After a couple years of ups and downs, I met and married my dream girl. Heather.
We married, ambitious and excited about our future, lots of money coming in, three cars and a new baby on the way... then we lost everything. Her father died shortly after we were married. Not long after that, our startup business failed, we lost our contract work for the newspapers, money and dreams were in short supply. We filed bankruptcy. People were worried that I would be battling the same depression my father did a lot of his life. We prayed, read our Bibles, praised God and lived. I also started listening to a cassette tape I found at a Barnes & Noble bookstore by Zig Ziglar, Goals.
I ended up at multiple part time jobs. But during that time, I was determined to become good at solving computer problems. Not because it was popular or had good income, but because I loved working with the technology. I had finally learned that being excellent at and doing what you loved would help you succeed more than anything. I also learned that helping other people be successful at what they wanted and what they do, would help you succeed!
After getting better at computers and going forward with an attitude of wanting to help whoever I worked for be successful, God continued to bless. It was funny, throughout those years, I would apply for a job and people would say "You can't do that, they won't hire you." Others would say "They aren't going to pay you such and such, you don't have a college degree." The reality is, they were wrong and God continued to bless.
So, when things happened a couple years ago, with my ankle and then, with my gall bladder and the pain after that surgery not going away. Now, with economic problems and having to change services we provide and other things, people say "What are you going to do?" "Why don't you do this?" "Why don't you do that?"
I am doing. We are trusting God. My wife and I are doing what we can to move our business forward, and when we can't move forward any further, we will stand. My attitude isn't going to change because of tough times. I'm still going to walk in faith. I'm still going to find ways to help and give. I'm still going to treat customers ethically and walk forward. I'm still going to talk about and tell people about God's hope, His love and the truth that He cares for us, no matter what.
We all grimace when we are hurting, in spite of that, I'm still going to tell you about the peace of God that is in my heart. I am going to tell you that I will walk in His joy, no matter what the circumstances that go on around us. I will also tell you that God keeps providing and surprising us every day! Things that I have never thought possible, happen. Many days I sit down at the end of the day, in amazement and thankfulness for the kindness and grace and joy that He has blessed us with.
When I share my heart about our nation, about our communities, I'm talking from a reality that we sometimes forget to look for or look at. The reality is that God can work through people everywhere. The reality is that when we work towards a goal together, we become stronger as a people, as a nation. The simplest reality is, when you share a bit of joy, of trust and kindness, it spreads like the best kind of infection that could ever revitalize a community or a nation.
It's actually good for economies. Credit card companies know it. They show you a joyful, heartfelt moment and tell you how you they can give you those memories. The thing is, that's a moment you can have or give, without a credit card, without money, without perfect circumstances. I had the blessing of hearing a woman the other night, who talked about how you can walk into a place and change the mood completely, if they are struggling or down or fighting angry customers, you can share a moment of joy that can turn a whole office around.
The secret?
That same thing can turn an economy around! It can turn a community around! One moment of shared encouragement, or a smile or hope from each of our days, can change the despair of foreclosures and layoffs and struggling businesses into a community of real hope. We can change a whole business deal or relationship with a creditor by dealing with kindness and by sharing hope. It really does change things.
That's why I refuse to be down because of personal circumstances. That's why I say and believe that tomorrow is going to be a better day! I'm not faking it, I'm telling you that kindness and friends and sharing and doing something good with and for someone makes every day a new opportunity that I look forward to!
So, when things happened a couple years ago, with my ankle and then, with my gall bladder and the pain after that surgery not going away. Now, with economic problems and having to change services we provide and other things, people say "What are you going to do?" "Why don't you do this?" "Why don't you do that?"
I am doing. We are trusting God. My wife and I are doing what we can to move our business forward, and when we can't move forward any further, we will stand. My attitude isn't going to change because of tough times. I'm still going to walk in faith. I'm still going to find ways to help and give. I'm still going to treat customers ethically and walk forward. I'm still going to talk about and tell people about God's hope, His love and the truth that He cares for us, no matter what.
We all grimace when we are hurting, in spite of that, I'm still going to tell you about the peace of God that is in my heart. I am going to tell you that I will walk in His joy, no matter what the circumstances that go on around us. I will also tell you that God keeps providing and surprising us every day! Things that I have never thought possible, happen. Many days I sit down at the end of the day, in amazement and thankfulness for the kindness and grace and joy that He has blessed us with.
When I share my heart about our nation, about our communities, I'm talking from a reality that we sometimes forget to look for or look at. The reality is that God can work through people everywhere. The reality is that when we work towards a goal together, we become stronger as a people, as a nation. The simplest reality is, when you share a bit of joy, of trust and kindness, it spreads like the best kind of infection that could ever revitalize a community or a nation.
It's actually good for economies. Credit card companies know it. They show you a joyful, heartfelt moment and tell you how you they can give you those memories. The thing is, that's a moment you can have or give, without a credit card, without money, without perfect circumstances. I had the blessing of hearing a woman the other night, who talked about how you can walk into a place and change the mood completely, if they are struggling or down or fighting angry customers, you can share a moment of joy that can turn a whole office around.
The secret?
That same thing can turn an economy around! It can turn a community around! One moment of shared encouragement, or a smile or hope from each of our days, can change the despair of foreclosures and layoffs and struggling businesses into a community of real hope. We can change a whole business deal or relationship with a creditor by dealing with kindness and by sharing hope. It really does change things.
That's why I refuse to be down because of personal circumstances. That's why I say and believe that tomorrow is going to be a better day! I'm not faking it, I'm telling you that kindness and friends and sharing and doing something good with and for someone makes every day a new opportunity that I look forward to!
Stand - Keep Holding On!
No comments:
Post a Comment