"There's nothing more I can do."
"I don't have the resources I need to make it happen."
"If only I had..."
"When I get (X) amount of dollars then I'm going to..."
We've all done it! I speak especially for myself when I say that people are great at making excuses! Granted, some of those excuses are probably completely justified. Several of us have experienced some hardships that may have just been unavoidable and until we overcome them, it's hard to focus on the things that need to get done to accomplish our goals. When I was homeless I probably said one of these, or a similar phrase, 10 times a day before I realized how negative I sounded. It became important to me to try not to focus so much on what I didn't have at the moment, and work on realizing what I did have instead.
I attended church, not too long ago, at Epic Faith, AKA Epic Family Life Center. Pastor Jack preached on Moses, reminding me of a story I was all too familiar with. You know... one of those stories that for some reason you really hear for the first time as an adult.
Let me refresh your memory...
From the New International Version of the King James Bible
Exodus 14:10-22
10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
13Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
Can't you just imagine as you read that story what it must have been like? I imagine how scared all the people were, and how much pressure Moses must have been under! All this time, he'd been trying to stay positive, trusting in God and encouraging the people who were depending on his guidance that all would be well in the end. Now here they are, at the end of the road, with what seemed like no way out! Have you been there before?
The people were crying out to Moses, expecting him to tell them the next step and what to do. Even Moses had to have been nervous at that point, because he too was only human and this was an impossible situation they were facing. That's why the Lord said to him, "Why are you crying out to me?..." What God was saying to Moses is, "DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?" Of course Moses did not, just like we don't today.
You see, when God sends you on a mission or places a calling on your life, He will give you EVERYTHING that you need to accomplish it. He is not a God who would send you into battle unarmed. The trick is trusting that He knows what He is doing and that, like His word says, He will not leave you nor forsake you.
When the storm is raging in our lives, it's difficult to remember what God promised us. When our bank account is falling below $0... When we just can't find a job or don't seem to have what we need to accomplish a task... When even the basic essentials are difficult to come by.... We have to remember that we already have everything we need.
I'm not just someone spitting positivity and Bible verses: I'm someone who has lived what I'm talking about. This is a statement I had to repeat to myself on a daily basis while I was living homeless in my car with my husband and two children. Do you think I woke up every day thinking positively? Absolutely not! But when I realized this important fact, I began to say it out loud on a regular basis, even during times when it was hard to believe.
When an obstacle stood in the way of me accomplishing something, I asked myself, "do I have what I need to accomplish this or is this something that God doesn't really want me to do at the moment?" Not only did I have to believe that He'd given me everything I needed, but I had to believe that He had me in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason. Does that make sense? When you train yourself to think this way you will NEVER be without again... and this is something I can promise you!
It's easy to say, "well that's easy for you to say", when you're referring to someone who is rich or a celebrity. Sometimes it's hard to take their advice because to "us" they aren't like regular people. They don't know your struggles. They have the ability to make things happen just by speaking it. They have unlimited resources and connections. Well, what I want you to realize is that so do you! After all, your Father is the King of the Universe right? So why not start acting like it?
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| "What if all you had was a staff?" |
There are always options, no matter what your "Moses staff" may be. We weren't all born with beauty, brains, kindness, wealth and the gift of gab. In fact, very few of us acquire all of the above in one lifetime. However, we are all given gifts in which we are to use to accomplish what God has put us on this earth to do. So who are we to say that isn't enough? Who are we to decide not to part the sea, so to speak, when God has already given us the assignment and the tools we need to complete it?
How many times have you seen a homeless person playing an instrument? What did it make you think? How did it make you feel? Do you realize that this guitar may very well be their only possession aside from the clothes on their back? How easy would it be for them to give up? How much more do you have than they?
When I first became homeless, I admit, I whined a lot. Especially when I saw someone who had much more than me, being ungrateful. I would be at an event and hear someone complain about how lumpy their bed was and I'd just want to stab them. Seriously!
Then I'd go crying to God that night...
"If I had a bed to sleep in I wouldn't complain; but here I am sleeping in the car! Why do I have to sleep in the car? I work harder than they do... Why am I homeless?"
Until I realized that at least I had a car to sleep in, nothing was ever going to change! Soon after, I realized also that I had a cell phone, a laptop, connections in the industry, connections with Facebook groups, events I could attend to network, clothes I could wear to these events, money to put in the gas tank, the ability to get to auditions... Need I say more? I won't even begin to list the skills and talents I had in my possession!
At the end of the day; once I learned to be grateful rather than complaining; I could see that I absolutely had more than enough! I could see clearly why God had allowed me to experience this hardship--then I began to take my video camera (another thing I had), and use it to document my homeless journey. I recorded video footage, took pictures, wrote in my journals--all the while thinking about the fact that once we got out of that predicament, this would be a testimony that I'd look back on and be grateful to have experienced!
I focused daily on my award winning book that would one day be listed on Oprah's Book Club! I meditated on the stage production I'd put on before it ever happened! I contemplated the movie that would be at the top of the charts one day! I even thought about the blog that would make six figures every year allowing me to spend more time with my family and never worry about money again! Some of these things I still give daily thought until they come to pass; others have already been accomplished. The point is, my mindset has changed from having nothing, to having EVERYTHING!
Now I wonder, after reading this... do you realize what you have? Will you go on worrying about what you don't have, or will you do as God told Moses and USE WHAT'S IN YOUR HANDS?
If you have questions or would like to request a topic for me to focus on in my next blog, please email me! Advertising and affiliate marketing opportunities are also available!
thehomelesstour@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
6050 Peachtree Parkway
Suite 240-180
Norcross, GA 30092
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