The statistics show that, "You're the man" and everybody knows it. Year in and year out, you've done more than enough to be here; worked hard, practiced hard, played hard.
Left it all on the floor.
This is the moment everyone has been waiting for your entire life. A dream to be fulfilled soon enough.
Coach walks toward you with a sour look on his face before you head out of the tunnel to participate in the pre-game warm-ups.
"I'm gonna have to sit you down..." You look puzzled and confused. "Why Coach?", you ask. "It's your grades son..."
Thinking to yourself, pretty confident that you did all that was necessary. "Didn't I meet the requirements?!" Then you remember, there was that 1 class, with that 1 test and everything hinged on that. And now everything is lost because of it.
There's no celebration for you. All you can do is watch from the bench and cheer on your teammates. All there is to do is think about how close you were to fulfilling you dreams...finishing on top; being the best.
Now there are 2 choices after the game is over. Apply for the draft or finish your education.
Decisions, decisions...what do you do?
[Excerpt from May 9, 2012]
“I have nothing left to give. I’ve completely poured myself out this past school year. All I have to offer you is my brokenness, my neediness, my wretched self.”
3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
Continuing with the story at hand. God has shown you what he will do in your life. You know everything that was to transpire after the big game will happen...now you're wondering, "How?"
At this point you know two things. 1) If you enter the draft you'll be drafted as the #1 pick to a team you can commit yourself to fully. It's everything you've ever dreamed of. 2) You need an education to fall back on because you don't know what the future holds. And lastly, maybe most importantly 3) This opportunity to be drafted may never happen again.
What do you do?
Many times in life we get thrown curve balls. Other times life happens and because we think it isn't the way it was supposed to be, this means it wasn't the right thing that happened.
Maybe we made a mistake. Possibly, our bad habits and decisions just caught up to us.
What if...your failure was on purpose? What if...there's nothing you can do but allow yourself to live the life you've been given...pre-destination and all? What if...there's something bigger in your failure that even you can't grasp?
You think to yourself and you remember all the good God has done for your life. All the bad and ill-will he's brought you through. Eventually, you reminisce on that one time long ago before you even got started on this journey, as you sat alone in your room, and his voice told you, that you'd have some trouble. How does that work? What does this mean?
God says, "You will fail." What do you do?
.....
At this point you know two things. 1) If you enter the draft you'll be drafted as the #1 pick to a team you can commit yourself to fully. It's everything you've ever dreamed of. 2) You need an education to fall back on because you don't know what the future holds. And lastly, maybe most importantly 3) This opportunity to be drafted may never happen again.
What do you do?
Many times in life we get thrown curve balls. Other times life happens and because we think it isn't the way it was supposed to be, this means it wasn't the right thing that happened.
Maybe we made a mistake. Possibly, our bad habits and decisions just caught up to us.
What if...your failure was on purpose? What if...there's nothing you can do but allow yourself to live the life you've been given...pre-destination and all? What if...there's something bigger in your failure that even you can't grasp?
You think to yourself and you remember all the good God has done for your life. All the bad and ill-will he's brought you through. Eventually, you reminisce on that one time long ago before you even got started on this journey, as you sat alone in your room, and his voice told you, that you'd have some trouble. How does that work? What does this mean?
God says, "You will fail." What do you do?
.....
A year ago after the President declared his support for same-sex marriage a Pastor at a notable church (the one that the President used to attend before all the hub-bub) said something that I had read in the Scriptures before but hadn't zoned in on. Specifically, the verse that he mentioned tells us exactly what we are to do in following the "greatest" commandment (loving God & loving neighbor).
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
I've read through the old(er) testament a couple of times but hadn't really highlighted this verse in particular. During the time that all these things were happening (and as I struggled to meet the graduation requirements) I became enamored with what this verse stood for and its applicability to today's time.
Whether you're Christian or not, at least two of these requirements are things that should be a part of your life: doing justice, and loving mercy. Justice, in the sense of standing up for what's right and speaking out against that which is wrong. Loving mercy, for not only when you receive it from others (and God) but also offering that same mercy to others (You know how someone makes the same mistake you used to make countless times but no longer make anymore). Lastly, walking humbly with God. Humility is a characteristic trait that everyone should aspire to embody. It is also one that is needed to get closer to God, understand God, and converse with him.
I wasn't too happy with not graduating. To tell you the truth I had graduated, just not from an academic standpoint. I had graduated in life. Don't allow the failures, mishaps, or things that weren't supposed to happen keep you from seeing the greater purpose and learning from all that's going on.
What do I do?
I praise my source of faith and learning (especially since my field of study seems to intersect my faith so well), for it was God's grace that has brought me safe thus far, and it will lead me home. How I get there is another story.
Sumthn2Ponder (s2p):
- If God has a "failure" planned for your life...what will you do?
- What does it mean to fail?
- Do you know what the requirements are for what you're trying to achieve?
Links for Consideration(L4C):
