“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart,” Galatians 6:9, NKJV.
If we look hard enough, we can find lessons in each of life’s challenges. From the “big” problems to the smaller ones that no one seems to care about but us, there is something we can glean from every situation. Such was the case for me when my daughter’s cell phone stopped working.
On a side note, I think companies build cell phones to only last a specific amount of time so we (consumers) are forced to upgrade. Yeah, I know, this makes me sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it seems like the phones in our household start acting up when we are close to the end of our contract date. Just a little something that makes me go, hmm… Anyhow, thanks to the cell phone insurance, we were able to get her phone replaced for free. (We actually needed two replacements, but that’s another story and feeds into my conspiracy beliefs.)
We couldn’t get Tia’s information to transfer to the new phone because the screen on the old phone had stopped responding to touch, which meant she’d lose everything. I wasn’t so concerned about her losing all her selfies as I was her losing all the photos from our Canada trip. Despite our cell phone carrier’s employees saying that there was no way to retrieve the photos and discouraging information I found online about this issue, I refused to give up looking for a solution. It took a micro USB dual adaptor, an external keyboard, and a lot of patience, but about two weeks and ten dollars later, everything on the broken phone had been transferred to the new one.
There was a great sense of satisfaction when all was said and done. My daughter had even lost hope at one time, and we talked about the importance of perseverance. While I thought I was teaching her a lesson, I felt God teaching me one as well. I was convicted. I’d given up on some other things in my life, but I sensed Him telling me that I needed that same level of determination to see those things through as I had with retrieving information from that broken cell phone. Thus, my passion for some goals and dreams have been re-ignited.
What about you? What’s something that you have given up on for whatever reason? What mental obstacles have you allowed to get in the way? Our thoughts play a big role in our actions. The mind reveals the inner workings of the heart. What do your thoughts uncover about the essence of your being . . . your core identity and beliefs? If God has made you a promise, but you have given up on it ever coming to pass, then your heart is saying that God is a liar. However, His word says that He’s incapable of such (Numbers 23:19).
I had to face the ugly truth that I’d lost hope about some things that He had promised. It was a sobering reality because I don’t consciously think God is a liar. But, actions always speak louder than words. My behavior indicated that I didn’t really believe Him. Thanks to my daughter’s broken cell phone, I’m on the move again, taking action on some things that I’d let collect dust. It may take some sweat equity, tears, and prayer, but most of all, it will take faith.
As I re-start my journey, I invite you to travel with me on your own, trusting that God is leading the way.
Soul Food 