Gtcotr/ws060320
One
of the principles of life I have learned in my almost 7 decades is that Things begin, and things end. Good things and bad
things … things begin, and things end.
The
truth is that when and where one thing ends, another begins. About the time you
imagine you have arrived you realize that you are standing at your next
departure point. Life is designed to be lived in the now, but living often
means we are going somewhere.
God
speaks to us through the prophet Isaiah by saying:
Isaiah 43:19 I am about to do
something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a
pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
God
is always about to do something new. There is one constant of life which we can
always be assured. The one constant is change. Change is, always has been, and
always be all around us.
Life
seems to be lived in chapters. The average life has a:
·
Pre-natal
chapter
·
Baby
chapter
·
Childhood
chapter
·
Teenager
chapter
·
Young
adulthood chapter which may include a lot of getting …
o Getting an education
o Getting a job
o Getting married
o Getting in debt
o Getting older and
wiser
·
Then
there are the middle-age chapter
o You don’t realize you
are in the middle-age chapter until you start doubling your age and end up
wondering if you will actually live that long.
o About the time you
accept that you really are middle-aged, you almost aren’t anymore, and you
begin thinking about the next chapter …
·
Retirement
chapter …
Life
has a way of changing on us without our permission. One day you are the kid and
the next you’re the parent or teacher, policeman or business owner. The truth
is that just because you get older and keep starting new chapters does not mean
that you feel any cooler, calmer, more collected and capable.
Nonetheless,
there are and always be new chapters. Our goal is to make the most of the
moment so that the current chapter ends well, and the next chapter gets off to
a great start.
Well,
here you are at the beginning of this new chapter in your life. Since I have
walked down the very same road you are about to embark on, allow me to give you
some advice from the wisdom I have gleaned along the way. Hindsight is 20/20
you know and many of us can look back and see exactly where you are going.
Here
are three things I would do better if, knowing what I know now, I had a chance
to live that young adult chapter again.
1.
I would do more asking.
a. Do not let lack of
knowledge or understanding keep you locked in a small room in life.
b. You are the only one
who knows what you do not know … and … unless you ask, you may not know in
time.
c. Nobody knows
everything … some people only act that way … you may not want to ask that
person.
d. Never be afraid to
ask.
2.
I would do more seeking.
a. Joy; satisfaction;
fulfillment; contentment; success, may not always be in the first place you
look. You may have to keep looking.
b. Most treasures are
buried or at least hidden from plain view.
c. Do not get
discouraged, tired or disillusioned and stop digging.
3.
I would do more knocking.
a. Don’t be so quick to
say “no” to yourself.
b. Many people stop short
of the goal because the imagine the will fail or that the doors just will not
open for them.
c. When God says “no”,
then it’s no … but nothing else is final.
d. Keep knocking, in
every chapter, keep knocking … the door will open in God’s time if you just
don’t quit!
Enjoy
the next chapter of your life … it is going to begin and end with or without
your permission. God is willing and He wants to help … He wants to help you so
much … but - Only you can make the most of your life.
Jesus
said …
Matthew 7:7 ¶ “Keep on
asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will
find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
