Lasting footprints …part 2

Something came up as we were talking about life with a friend at work today. In our talk we came to agree that it would seem as if life general favours the bold and chews up the weak and spits them out. What I am trying to say is you will find that mostly those who will have the courage to do the unusual go further than those who settle for the status quo. I believe this is the reason why most of us seem to be barely managing in our careers, relationships, health etc, because of our fear of the unknown. By that I mean we are usually afraid to venture out into something no-one we know has ever done or been before. Sometimes even if somebody has been there and done than it still seems like it’s a no-go area because we judge ourselves to be not good enough. I agree I may be talking about myself here and yes I am not ashamed to say now that many a time I have let golden opportunities go begging simply because i have listened to the voice of fear inside. And sometimes that fear may be a voice of caution which we do well to heed but most of the time it is just the fear of stepping out into uncertain territory that paralyses us and renders us helpless and therefore stuck in a humdrum life with no joy or excitement. Just think of it what would you do if you were not afraid, if you did not care what the world around will say, what tomorrow will be like? Wouldn’t step out in confidence and do that daring thing you always wanted to do, like mustering courage to ask for a raise(LOL) or ask that guy/girl for a date, or even walk out of your abusive relationship or dead-end job that’s wearing you down more than it gives you money. I am by no means suggesting that you throw away all reason and run helter-skelter into something you will regret tomorrow, all I am saying is sometime we need to take risks, calculated ones off course because even the Bible does say one must count the cost before taking on any venture, but the problem some of us count the cost till the cows come home..and the same Bible does say in another place that ..He who regards the wind will not sow or he who watches the clouds will not reap! My understanding of this is that the person who waits for favourable conditions before doing anything will probably wait a lifetime before they come So yes it is very wise indeed to sit and count the cost before rushing forward without enough information as the song goes that wise men sing only fools rush in, so let us not be fools who only rush in without enough facts, but at the same time lets us not be those who will sit to count the cost till the opportunity passes by.. Only by taking risks in life will one ever be able to live a fulfilled life, because nothing just comes while you sit and wait for it, you have to go out there and look for it and in that way I believe you will leave behind a lasting legacy of a life well-lived, a life lived in pursuit of your heart’s desire because your heart’s deepest desire is what is your life’s purpose, that God put in you when he created you.

Making lasting footprints

Ever thought about the day you will die, i know that it is an uncomfortable thing for most of us to confront but it is a reality we cannot avoid. Death will come at some point in life and it’s one thing that no-one else can do on your behalf; everyone has to face death for themselves and by themselves one day. But take heart I am not going to talk about the grim realities of death today just want to talk about the things that precede death. What i want to talk about is what happens after you are dead, not the life after death issue, NO that is best left to the experts, though i would like to add that one must know where they will spend their next life way before your D-day comes. Having said that and gotten it out of the way let me proceed to my main subject...what you will leave behind after you die, i mean your legacy and the memories that the people behind will have of you after you are gone. Will people remember you as a loving person who was a joy to have a round or they will remember you as the grumpy slob who was always in a foul mood ready to fly of the handle at any slightest provocation, what about your family and friends, what memories will they have of you. Will they be of someone who can be relied upon, a man or woman of his/her word, or someone who when they promise you something they just cross their fingers and hope it will happen someday., or when you promise they know it’s just an avoidance of more pestering. Well I’m sure we all know what kind of persons we are and in the deepest of our hearts we know the area of our lives that need improvement. Some of us are so scary that people are just too scared to get close to us whereas some of us are too friendly that people regard us just an irritating hand full.
There is a lot we can say about the kinds of people we are but in my opinion the real truth usually comes out when you are gone, it may be you are gone away from the usual people or it may be when you are gone from this world for good. Either way that time when you are absent from the people who love is when the truth of who you really are comes out. so what kind of person are you in your absence, what do people remember most about you, do they miss you and have fond memories or they are glad to be rid of you.
I would certainly want my epitaph to read something like a motivational speech, a shorter version of course, but one thing I know is that cannot happen unless I make changes in my life presently to be a better person that people will remember with love and fondness, a wife, mother, sister and friend who made everyone around them feel loved and appreciated. They say you have only today to make a difference and I do believe so while you have today make the most of it to those who matter in your life, and even to the stranger you meet for the first time, so your epitaph may read like a love story. In these twenty-four hours God has entrusted you with for today, make it count and make that contribution towards your life’s work.

When the road ahead is long and hard…!!

When an eagle wants to teach its young ones to fly, it carries them on its wings to the topmost rock, then flies off the rock with the young eaglets on its wings. After flying off the rock the mother eagle lets go of the young eaglets and leaves them to find a way out, but she doesn’t abandon them she just gives them a few moments and when they seem to be falling out of the sky, she swops on them and lets them perch them on her wings again, she repeats this process till the young eaglets realize they are supposed to open their wings and use them to fly. As she repeats the process she goes to a higher altitude each time so that her young ones can learn how to fly at high altitudes. I believe in the same way when God has to teach you something He takes you on the journey and lets you try it out as if He is not there, as you start to feel the waters are coming up to your nose He comes in and lifts you up and does it again till you can deal with the new situation in your life, if He didn’t teach us how to survive the storms of life we wouldn’t really grow , instead we would be forever infants in dealing with life issues..and we would never really grow to our fullest capacity and use our God-given survival mechanisms and even our intelligence. So when it seems as if the road is hard and the mountains too steep or valleys too deep and dark , remember God has brought you this far and will not leave you to figure it out yourself but will make a way only if you ask Him to show you. Nobody said the road would be easy, as the song goes, but it is certainly worth it and as you look back you will see how strong you have become with each new challenge.

Ever found yourself waiting for something or someone and you really would rather be somewhere else, i know most of us know the feeling.. when it feels like life is passing you by and you are stuck in this waiting moment till whatever, or whoever you are waiting for comes. It is not a pleasant feeling and most of the time we tolerate it only because we have no choice, but what if you had a choice in the matter..and i don't mean a choice of abandoning the appointment, but i mean a choice of having something better to do while you wait, wouldn't that be a great idea and a great use for time which otherwise go to waste i imagine. Well I think we all have a choice there, as you wait instead of feeling like its the longest 30minutes or even 30 years of your life try seeing it an opportunity to explore life deeper and find ways to make it more meaningful. Before most of you think that I'm talking about positivity let me hasten to add that i am talking about more than just positive thinking. I am talking about realising that in that moment of waiting that we all hate so much there is a divine appointment with destiny, God has ordained you to be in that moment at that particular time and instead of whining look around and within and within and ask yourself why have i been granted this moment of solitary waiting, and as you ask that question and more such deep and probing questions, you will learn more about your life's purpose. The usual thing is for us to rush through life and complain about things we dislike like being stood up etc, but those moments are necessary in the grand scheme of things that is the whole picture of your life, if you never had those moments where you wait for something, some of us might never appreciate the beauty of life as we are mostly busy with one thing or another, but in that moment of waiting God presses pause on your life and forces you to find yourself not moving on to the next big thing you would want to but to stand in that moment and appreciate it for it might never come again. So before you grumble and complain about how late your next promotion is, your bus or plane, or even Mr/Miss Right, pause and look at where you are now and appreciate every tiny details as this moment will soon be a memory.

Making the most of each day..!!!

"Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much..."...goes the words of an old favourite song of mine, and as I think on that I realise that indeed sometimes time moves at a snail's pace , but in that slow pace a lot of stuff happens most of which we want to hold on to and cherish forever,well some of it we want to forget as soon as we can. As I think on what time does I am also prompted to reflect on the lessons life has taught me as time goes by and one thing comes through for me , and its that we have the same number of hours each day and its up to us to decide how to use the hours we have, they may be sour days where all we want to do is curl up under a blanket and sleep the day away, or go partying and forget everything else, and there may be good days which you want to hold on to and dont want to move on, but at the end of it all its up to us to make the most of each day we are given here on earth be it a good day or a bad one..!

I have learnt
I have leant that its okay to cry
And weep for lost opportunities
But to never stop looking for more
I have learnt that its okay to try
Again and again even if you fail
Because the day will come
When you will sail through all
I have learnt that days differ
Some dark and cold, and yet full of hope
And some bright and sunny and yet
With clouds hovering n the horizon
Threatening to bring rain
But I have learnt to enjoy with zeal
Dancing in the cold wet rain as much as
Running in the sunny green meadows
For all days alike are meant to be enjoyed
I have learnt God gives us strength
For each day as it comes and it’s up to us
To maximize the time we have on this earth.

TAKE THE TIME

Take the time…Zanele Ndlovu

Take the time out to smell the flowers
To enjoy nature and appreciate life.
Take the time out from the hustle and bustle
To run, with the wind in your hair,
The sun in your face, without a care..!
Take the time out to play and to say
The words so often missing in our busy lives
I love you and I care ...!!
Take the time out to walk barefoot in the sand
Feel the goodness of the warm brown earth
Tingle your feet, bringing a glow to your heart.
Take the time out to smile at the world
And make a difference to a hurting soul.
Take the time today and do all you want to do
For tomorrow is not promised
Today is all you have to be and become,
So take the time while it is still today
Take the time and live life to the full..!!

AS WE BEGIN

Hello everybody, this has been a long time coming but I knew I needed to do this someday so finally I have decided to be obedient to the inner voice and do what i have to do.This being my first post i will keep it short because it is just meant to be a welcome to all of you who will vist this page and to those of you who will become regular visitors God bless you and I pray that we will enjoy this journey together.
As i said earlier that this has been a long time in coming because for a long time i had a desire to share what is in my heart with the world but kept on wondering if i am really ready to put myself out there and be scrutinised etc, then i realised that it is not just about me but it is about the God who is in me , who is the originator of the dream, so i went on to really search myself out and see if i was really ready to do this, offcourse i wasnt but i knew i will never be ready as long as I keep on looking for the perfect result. One day in my devotions i read somewhere where the author was talking about how we miss the season of blessing because we always want to have everything needed first before we can embark on a project, whereas any project is made up of many small steps that you take in faith and with whatever you have at that point till you get to the desired result.So with that in mind here i am ready to share whatever the Lord lays on my heart and I'm trusting Him to finish the work that He has started in me and in you as you read this post. So here is to a fruitful and blessed journey ahead.