Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Past and Present




Boy, look, look! Look! Your daddy may not had a whole lot of money. Oh, but he was rich, because he invested in people. What'd you think? You think I was the only one he gave a job to, Calvin? No! That man opened up the doors to anybody and any knucklehead around here in the city of Chicago that wanted to come down here and make somebody out themselves. Gave the opportunity to be somebody!  - Eddie, in the film Barbershop

Just recently after watching the film Barbershop, I was quickly reminded of many things from my past and the lives I invested in. I believe God had just wanted to point out that within my past failures there were accomplishments, so they really weren't failures at all. It seems that wherever my feet may have trembled God used me, sometimes without my even recognizing it, and I kind of like it that way. From the very beginning of my blog in 2009, you will read some amazing stories from people I've encountered through my life and through the business I owned and operated. For the short time of running a business and my job as a Youth Pastor, and the ministries I've been a part of, I've allowed God to just use me according to my personality and talents. I'm not boasting or bragging, I'm just glad God can use me in such a way.

Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of water
    from the wells of salvation.
And as you do it, you’ll say,
    “Give thanks to God.
Call out his name.
    Ask him anything!
Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done,
    spread the news of his great reputation! 
(Isaiah 12:4 MSG)

God has a great reputation, one worthy of telling others. He rescues us from circumstances and difficulties so that we may tell others of His goodness.

 In the last week I have seen many posts on Face Book about forgetting our past and moving forward, such as this one:
You can't start the next chapter of your life, if you keep re-reading the last one. Turn the page!

 Some great words to live by, but sometimes God has a way of reaching us the most when He does remind us of our past. He can either remind you of  the miry clay He brought you out of, or He can remind you of the successes you've had within those failures. Yes, I believe much can be accomplished through our failures, just as past mistakes can bring us back to God.

Domino's Pizza has been carrying out a new campaign slogan: Failure is an Option. What they are saying is they are not afraid to try something new and fail, because you never succeed if you don't try, and so you can't be afraid to fail.

Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. God gives us hope. He wants us to try new things. He wants us to succeed. He has a reputation to uphold. He can't go back on His Word, nor His promises.

Move forward knowing God's got your back!

If you live in an area with no access to a Bible, click on www.biblegateway.org for more of God's encouraging Word.





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