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Continue to persevere even when you fail
Whenever you fail, you can start all over again because every end is a new beginning. Equally true is tomorrow the sun will rise again. Learn to “Absorb the spills to develop new skills” (Robert H. Schuller). Do not forget also, “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for the thing we call ‘failure’ is not falling down, but staying down,” quipped Mary Pickford. God is in control and in charge.
Two frogs fell into a can of cream
Or so I’ve heard it told
The sides of the can were shiny and steep
The cream was deep and cold
“Oh, what’s the use?” croaked number one
“Tis fate, no help’s around.
Good bye, my friend!
Good bye to the world!”
And weeping still, he drowned.
But number two, of sterner stuff
Dog-paddled in surprise
The while he wiped his creamy face
And dried his creamy eyes
“I’ll swim awhile at least,” he said
Or so I’ve heard he said,
“It really wouldn’t help the world,
If one more frog were dead.”
An hour or two he kicked and swam
Not once he stopped to mutter
But kicked and kicked and swam and kicked
Then hopped out, via butter! (Anonymous)
—–
Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life
Where, in spite of all you can do
There is no way out, there is no way back
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone
He will send the wind, he will heap the floods
When He says to your soul, “Go on”
And His hand will lead you through—clear through ere the watery walls roll down
No foe can reach you, no wave can touch
No mightiest sea can drown
The tossing billows may rear their crests
Their foam at your feet may break
But over their bed you shall walk dry shod
In the path that your Lord will make
In the morning watch, ‘neath the lifted cloud
You shall see but the Lord alone
When He leads you on from the place of the sea to a land that you have not known
And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed
You shall be no more afraid
You shall sing His praise in a better place
A place that His hand has made. (Anonymous)
—–
As thou dost travel down the corridor of Time
Thou wilt find many doors of usefulness.
To gain some there are many weary steps to climb and then they will not yield!
But onward press for there before thee,
in the distance just beyond lies one which yet will open; enter there and thou shalt find all realized thy visions fair of fields more vast than thou hast yet conceived.
Press on, faint not; though briars strew thy way the greatest things are yet to be achieved and he who falters not will win the day.
No man can shut the door which God sets wide
He bids thee enter there—thy work awaits inside. (Fairelie Thomton)
—–
Live a balanced life
The beauty of balance can be seen in Revelation 10:1–3 where we see the story of an angel carrying a scroll.
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face shone like the sun and his feet flashed with fire. And he held open in his hand a small scroll. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth and gave a great shout—it was like the roar of a lion—and the seven thunders crashed their reply.
“This verse presents the beauty of a balanced life,” says Archibald Rutledge. Here is a dramatic scene. An angel comes down from heaven. Without a word spoken, he takes his position, with left foot on the earth and right foot on the sea. And his hand holds a scroll. It is as if God is saying, “This is the posture that is needed; this is the way to stand to attain balance in life,” or what Jesus called the ‘abundant life’. The earth represents the importance of material things while the sea symbolizes death and the eternity of spiritual things.
See things from “above the sun” rather than from “under the sun”.
The book of Ecclesiastes is an intriguing book about a man (tradition says he is King Solomon) who searched for the meaning, significance, and satisfaction in life. In the midst of inequities and inconsistencies, he concluded that life is meaningless or futile. He concluded that power, prestige, and pleasure cannot fill the void in man’s life “under the sun” (e.g., Ecclesiastes 8:27; 29 times). Satisfaction and significance can only be found “above the sun”—that is, in God.
Life is a gift from God (Ecclesiastes 2:24–26; 3:12–13, 22; 5:18–20; 8:15; 9:7–10, 11:8–9). Enjoy life to the fullest because of the uncertainty and unpredictability of life and inevitability of death. Live, drink, eat, be merry and live joyfully—but remember God, reverence Him, and obey His words because there is accountability after death (Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:1, 13).
“Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:1–2). Casting bread upon the waters means throwing it into a river or into the ocean. You are taking a risk. Follow your dreams. “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary” (Jim Roh).
Let go to grow!
Carrying resentment and bitterness and those that have hurt or betrayed you will hinder your growth. “Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 TLB). Mandela forgave the jailers who were responsible for his twenty-seven year ordeal. Is it that difficult for us to forgive a colleague or a friend or a business associate for causing us a little temporary grief? Learn to forgive. Carrying a grudge in life only makes you overweight—and in turn slows down your progress.
A Tamil movie has been made of the (2007-08-17)amazing and inspiring story of a man who single-handedly moved a mountain to help others in need about five decades ago. Dashrath Manjhi (1934–August 2007), also known as “Mountain Man,” was a landless farmer from Gahlor Ghati of Gaya, India, Bihar. He was a poor labourer but he decided to take into task the difficulties of his villagers who were almost cut off from the rest of the world by rocky hills, almost making the place impassable.
Around 1959, his wife passed away from illness and lack of immediate medical care when there was no way of taking her to the nearest medical center over the 300 feet high hills. Heartbroken after her death, Manji alone resolved to create a pass so that no one person would have to suffer the fate that his wife did.
He sold his goats to purchase a chisel, rope, and a hammer. This sudden change in his demeanour made him a laughing stock, and people started calling him eccentric and crazy. Unfazed by their remarks, Manji hammered away with consistent determination for 22 years. At the end of his arduous labour, he finally came face to face with his dream: the OTHER SIDE of the HILL! He had carved a path through a 360ft long, 30ft wide, and 25ft high hillock using only a hammer and chisel. After 22 years of work, Dashrath shortened travel between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya town from 55km to 15km.
Once this task was accomplished, Dashrath Manji became known as the Mountain Man. Sadly, this amazing man breathed his last on August 18, 2007 after fighting cancer at New Delhis AII India Institute of Medical Sciences and received a proper state burial.
Dashrath Manji, a man who was mocked and ridiculed, left behind a legacy of strong will and determination, and a much shorter passageway that his fellow villagers now use every day.
Some invaluable lessons to learn from this story:
Don’t lose heart if people call you mad and crazy for your unique idea or thoughts.