Rocky Roads

Yesterday may have been a rough day and maybe even today was hard too. If so, I hope these words will encourage you to not give up but to keep pushing through each day. You will find that one day, if you don't give up, you’re gonna reach that tomorrow that will be the most beautiful day of your life. It will be the beginning of opened doors, new opportunities, new blessings and an overflow of happiness. Although you may not be able to see that day right now, it’s there waiting to greet you at the end of your current situation. Even if you’re surrounded by things that weigh heavy on your heart or circumstances that are trying to break you down, that’s not how it ends. Please trust, if you just keep going, keep pressing in, keep pushing forward and grab on to the rope of hope, your faith is going to lead you right into that day of sunshine. And when it does you will be able to look back and say, “I made it”.

To me it’s like when my daughters were young and I would take them for their immunization shots. They dreaded the day, I dreaded it even more. Back then each immunization was an individual shot. If I remember correctly, there would be one in each leg and one in each arm. It was absolutely terrible. My children would scream with first shot and as each needle appeared in their sight, the tears would keep coming. The nurse would have the audacity to tell me to hold my child’s leg or arm, whichever limb she was about to stick. I cried harder than they did because there I was having to hold my child while allowing the nurse to inflict this horrible pain. Although they knew it was necessary, they truly didn’t understand why. However, by the time we left the doctor’s office, they were only thinking of the fun bandages and lollipops they got for having endured the pain.

That’s how life’s struggles are. When we’re going through it, we don’t understand why. The pain is terrible. And guess what, God cries right alongside us. He doesn’t want His children to suffer or to hurt in any way but some things He must allow us to go through in order for us to learn something or to build character, or to give us an experience that will develop compassion for someone else who may face a struggle later. There are so many reasons why we must experience different struggles but knowing it’s to bring about something greater later can give us that extra push, that fight and that faith to get past it.

Just don't give up! Don't think about what's going on around you. Don't think about the situation you may be facing. Focus your mind and all of your energy on the things that are ahead because there definitely is a brighter day coming your way. I know what you are going through right now may not seem fair, but I want you to know and believe that whatever it is, you’re gonna come out of it stronger, better and wiser. Nothing can break a champion and you my friend are a champion.

Try this exercise. Imagine every ounce of turmoil, every obstacle, every hurt, every disappointment, and just picture all of it as large rocks in the middle of the road. As you approach each rock, pick it up, toss it to the side of the road and keep walking forward. No matter how many rocks you encounter on your road, just keep tossing them aside out of your way and keep moving forward. You’re on your way to your ‘Better’. Get excited. Even if a storm sweeps in with lightening crackling, thunder roaring, and rain pouring down, don’t stop. Keep throwing the rocks to the side of the road and move forward. When you get tired, you can’t see how much farther up the road you have to go and your body is feeling like you just can’t take another step, no strength left to throw any more rocks, Do Not Give Up! You have more strength inside of you so grab it. That storm rose up simply because you are almost at the end of that rocky road and the enemy is desperate. He didn’t think you would make it past all the rocks he placed on the road. But hope and faith provide a strength in us that won’t let us fail. Hope and faith are Godly genes and God never fails! We’re predestined to win. You've got this because God’s got you. You can do this. You will move all the rocks, your path will be cleared and you will walk right into ‘Better’.

When you find yourself about to fall apart, or you’re at the point of giving up, please stop and remind yourself, ...you only have a few more shots.