Wise
individuals crave patience. Unfortunately, common sense says that longsuffering
isn’t acquired overnight; neither is any victory. Life is a methodical process.
That brings to mind the well-known saying that anything worth doing is worth
doing right.
My last article was about embracing the gradual development of life on the way to any accomplishment. I would like to continue with that theme today.
More Quotes From T.D. Jakes’ book, Destiny
“When it seems Destiny
is slipping right through your finger, tighten your imaginative grasp and
declare, ’It’s mine and I’m not letting it get away, no matter what I have to
go through!’”
“Many forfeit the hard
work of process. They don’t hang in there because life can be very, very hard.
They get disenchanted with process because they don’t see results. They fail to
realize they have to grow and circumstances must evolve. They don’t know that
the oak tree they imagined is somewhere in the acorn they received.”
“Process precedes
accomplishment. Have the tenacity to endure the process, because what you learn
will help you survive when you attain your goal. If you learn to be patient,
you will become consistent in your pursuit of Destiny.”
“Although the Lord
orders the steps of a good person, most of us are looking for the elevator! God
doesn’t promise elevators; the Lord guides steps. The steps strengthen us. So get
on the StairMaster and stick with it!”
Eagles
I am a big
fan of learning lessons from animals, or wherever I can find them. I have
researched this magnificent bird on the internet. There are three interesting
facts related to eagles learning to fly:
- The parent eagles spend quite a bit of time putting together a cushy nest for their babies. Mommy and daddy use whatever soft materials they can find to cushion their fragile newborns. This could be leaves, feathers, or anything found within a fairly short distance. Little by little, as the eaglets grow, the parents take out the soft stuff. They want their offspring to become less and less comfortable. The little ones need to prepare and be willing to leave the nest. (A lesson for human teens?) By the time the young eagles are ready to fly, the nest will look something like the uncomfortable collection of sticks pictured above.
- Once the eaglets are actually ready to start flying lessons, Mommy and Daddy do their best to help them test their wings for short distances until they are ready for long flights.
- The parents do not completely abandon the eagles while they are learning to fly. They wait nearby, unobtrusively, able to jump in (ummm, “fly in”) if necessary.
In summary, God allows us to grow in a manner similar to eagles. He gradually pushes us out of our comfort zone into our eventual promotion. He gives us only as much power as we can handle at a time. He is always waiting in the wings in case we absolutely cannot handle life’s trials at any given time.
His help may not come when we
want it, or how we want or expect it,
but it will come. Frankly
speaking, God’s help has rarely been
available according to my agenda. However, with hindsight, I see the divine
purpose in every delay.
Driving
This is my
talented eaglet, aka Caitlin, aka Miss Katy (to her parents). She is not ready
to drive by herself, yet. She only has her learner’s permit. She is learning how
to drive in steps. My eaglet is not ready for the full brunt of highway traffic,
especially in our crowded area. She hasn’t even practiced parallel parking,
yet. Step by step; that’s the key.
My Conclusion
God orders
our stages. We need everything we go through, or we won’t be ready to move on
to the next stage. We can’t disrespect the process.
How are you
taking life in steps?
No comments:
Post a Comment