The Sharing Corner
My mother was one of the most inspirational women that God could have ever given a boy. She battled her demons and conquered each one by trusting in God’s power. She survived battles even with her eyesight dimmed and other physical incapabilities. Through her trials, she kept her infectious laugh and spoke encouraging words to countless people. In life’s trials as a whole, many are the choices in our reactions, but I learned that with faith and laughter any trial can be overtaken. Can we still believe regardless of the vicissitudes of life? Can we find joy in spite of how we feel? May you always see God’s smile upon you and may you always experience the world’s humor for your delight. Just know when it’s all said and done, we have to know that everything will be alright!!!
...with faith and laughter
Each day I wake up with my mind full of wonder and adventure. I literally open my eyes and lie in bed, planning what I want to do that day, do I want to work on an art piece, renovate something in my house, write a short story, or just entertain myself with the possibilities of my future? Each day is a new opportunity to achieve a new goal. This is what I call “living on purpose” — not living by mishap, or by chance, but living because of a divine destiny. This perspective keeps me rooted and completely focused on a daily agenda. This lifestyle diminishes any frivolous conversations and protects me from falling into any type of emotional sabotage of my constructive goals toward living in peace.
While I was visiting Colombia, I was introduced to this song by a guy from Holland, he was backpacking from northern California to Venezuela. We both ended up at a hostel in Cartagena, Colombia. After we got to know each other, we shared adventures in Colombia. One thing we had in common — trouble with our visas. Somehow he lost his while traveling and couldn’t leave the country; I had overstayed my time in Colombia, and unless I paid a fee (an amount I didn’t have), I couldn’t leave the country either. After a week of going back and forth from our hostel to the immigration office, we finally got matters settled on the same day. On this particular Friday we made our way to a veranda that overlooked the shopping courts. He said to me, “Man, this has been an awesome day. We got our visas, we can leave the country now, you got to hear this song; this is the perfect song for this moment." I hope you enjoy it.
There are harms in our youth that were deposited by trusted people. Inferiorities, doubts, insecurities, hatreds, misunderstandings, and self-esteem issues were planted like weeds in a garden, and they grew and choked the fruit of who God created us to be. Do we focus on that predatory plant and allow it to grow and take over our prosperous potential, or do we extract those roots from our good ground? How do we do this? Do we forgive, seek help, or sever the ties — perhaps all three? Whatever it takes, we must free ourselves from the bondage of unwanted fate and pursue the freedom of happiness that can reside in us. When we leave the weeds, we give them power to grow and choke out good growth. Destroy those varmints and water the fruit. With determination and care, there will be plenty of fruit to share.
Matthew 13:24-30
Do we live in the “selfish”? Is everything about self and how we feel — not considering others or even our own past? Could it be that our greatest deliverance comes simply from considering others? For example, why do we hold fault with someone when someone could hold fault with us? Or why do we not have empathy toward the other party (considering their challenges with life, their struggles, or even their downfalls) before charging them and holding them to blame? Could we free ourselves from anger, hurt, or depression if we choose to be more sensitive toward others? How much calmness could we walk in if we look at all situations as such? Let us put aside damaging selfishness and let us put on liberating compassion.
In Romans 12:3, Paul states that God has given to every man a measure of faith, meaning we have the potential to believe. The degree of our belief is determined by our trust in God. Some may believe that God will change a wayward child, while others may believe that God may heal their bodies. There are those who believe their car will start every morning, even have confidence to sit in a chair without first examining it. Regardless of our level of faith, we must exercise a belief system so that when life sends trouble in areas that are foreign to us, we can believe God even more so. When the car starts and gets you to the doctor who gives you a bad report, can your faith elevate to a level you’re not used to? Or do you sustain a normal, comfortable faith and allow negative circumstances to overtake you? You can become focused more on the circumstances than the power of God. Faith is like exercising: the more you work it out, the more strength you attain.
I read a question: “What is in your life that you are using faith for?” — meaning what is that thing in my life that I depend on God to do daily? A disabled person may ask God for strength to walk up the stairs; a corporate salesperson may ask to be kept strong while he’s away from his wife. What are you trusting God for on a daily basis, that thing you cannot do yourself? This quest goes beyond material and tangible things. Are we challenging ourselves to increased faith? The goal could be as simple as “God, I’m trusting that You will bring laughter or a smile from me to every person I cross paths with today.” We can get deeper and ask God to show us how to forgive certain people who have wronged us; can we pick up the phone and call that individual and present grace, internally and externally? This is how we develop a stronger relationship with God, less dependence on ourselves and more faith in Him.
Time and time again people look at God in political spectacles, define Him by the actions of people, history, or religion. Is it wrong for us to look at God personally? Could He do something in our lives that only we can witness? How can we explained the unmerit love that's been bestow unto us to a person who sees God as a type of fad, and not specifically a God that gave His Son for all sins of the world. A person that sees God as a choice in a buffet of foods or as a selection in a closet of clothes is a person that's far from having a personal relationship with Him.
