“Nobody told me the road would be easy, but I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me.”
I grew up in church and we would sing this song quite often. It’s funny because as a kid, you don’t really realize the depth and the impact that the lyrics in a song can have. This one line in this song has gotten me through many rough nights and mornings where I just didn't want to get out of bed. “I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me.”
It’s amazing how God can allow us to grow. He’ll expand us. God will even bring us to higher levels… and we forget about it as soon as a new trial comes along. I am very guilty of this. But this line keeps me grounded and it reminds me that God really does love me and wants to prosper me. I just have to have faith that he will and the endurance to work until He brings His plan for my life to pass.
I’ve been really busy the past few weeks and haven't been able to write “Word Up Wednesday” Posts… on here, I do my best to stay as transparent as I possibly can. The past few weeks have been amazing for me. I got to open up for The Walls Group and for the incomparable Yolanda Adams. I led worship with an incredible band for the 18th Quadrennial meeting of the YPD of the AME church (which is a huge international meeting for the AME Church that only takes place every 4 years) and then I got to visit some friends in Atlanta…. the month of July was filled with lots of hard work and a ton of fun with some amazing people.
Yet… this week, as soon as I got back to my apartment, I spent a little time in prayer, went to sleep and the next morning I was tormented by the thoughts of “What’s Next?” I had to pray myself out of a place where I know Satan was trying to get me to go: Self-pity. As amazing of a month that I’ve had, there were still some rough patches… but the good outweighed the bad. So while in the midst of these events, I focused on the good. When I got home and it was just me and my thoughts, I spent time focusing on the bad. Which is dangerous. Mainly because I know Satan tries to use me to defeat my own self. As crazy as that sounds, it’s true. What’s even crazier is that I have allowed this to happen on more than one occasion. I allow myself to fall for the trick of what appears real. When something appears to be real it poses a very big threat to that thing that you haven't achieved yet… which, at times, can feel fake. Thoughts get going: You’re never going to achieve THAT.” “Look at how far you still have to go” “Nobody even cares…” These thoughts focus on the things that we see… Yet we know that faith is not about what we see, it’s about what we know. What we believe to be true. We need to always trust the word that God gave us even when it doesn't look real… or possible. I always had allowed myself to fall for the trick of what appeared to be real. This time I wasn’t going to allow it.
Endurance: The ability to resists, withstand, and recover from trauma, wounds or fatigue. The ability to do something difficult for a long time. The ability to deal with pain or suffering that continues for a long time.
We endure when we keep moving despite what things look like around us. Despite what we hear because we move off of what we know! I believe that I am still growing as a believer and that my faith is expanding. I also believe that there are others out there who, like me, are working towards achieving their full potential and walking towards their calling. I want to encourage you to endure. It’s a test. Whatever satan is showing you that looks real that is contrary to what God said, that’s a trick. Don’t settle. Don’t stop. Withstand that trauma. Take the punches. Push through your exhaustion because your “better you” is ahead of you and the only way you will reach the goal is to keep moving!