This post came to me in church today. I hope I don't plagerize my pastor too much.
I feel it is a very important post, and because of that I probably won't be posting much more this week. I want this one to sink in, and to remain at the top of my blog for a few days. No matter how you read it, I pray that you can take something good away from it. Here goes...
A few years ago, my brother Wesley and I were speaking. (can't recall what it was exactly) But, he made the statement that some people just don't know the value of delayed gratification. That idea stuck with me. I thought about it. I prayed about it. And I never forgot it.
In today's society we are so dependent on the quick fix. Hungry? Run over to the drive through, and you can probably get a full meal in about 2 minutes or less. Want to know the meaning of word, or research a subject? No more traveling over to the local library. All you gotta do now is go to your computer and do a quick search, or read the public's take on it. By using the internet for about 5 minutes, you saved yourself a half-day's activity. The point is, people want quick fixes. If life throws them a problem, they want a fix that day.
Not knowing the value of delayed gratification - or rather, the need for a us as humans to remove the pains of today is what leads addicts searching for their next fix, alcoholics going for their next drink, and often keeps people who seem to be down on their luck in a downward spiral. Rather than going through the hard times and attacking the problems head on, people just want their troubles to end and the pains to stop.
The fact is that life is hard. It takes work. We as humans are fallible, we have weaknesses, and no matter how hard we try we always fall short of perfection. There is no quick fix. The sooner you get your mind to grasp that concept, the better off you will be.
Although he was illustrating a different point, my pastor gave this funny list today that hit home for me. The list is the top 10 things you can learn from Noah.
1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we're all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the boat.
4. Stay fit! When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to the critics - just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. When you're stressed, float a while.
9. Amatuers built the Arc. Professionals built the Titanic.
10. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
Number 10 is my point here.
A few years ago I wrote to a good friend of mine. He was going through some hard times, and was looking for some good news. I worried about this friend because he didn't seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, sometimes you won't. That is why we must live by faith. I wrote to my friend an analogy. I told him that you cannot allow life to toss you side to side, and let you be affected by the winds. You can't let the waves - the highs and lows of life - affect you greatly. You've got to be that ship that cuts through the waves. You simply thank God for the high points in life, you appreciate the sunsets, and you thank Him that you made it through the lows.
So if you are that sailboat, and you simply want to get upstream, what do you do when the wind is blowing strongly to your face? Do you give up? Is there no hope? How can you sail directly into the wind? Sometimes you feel your plans of making it to your destination is impossible. This is where delayed gratification comes in. Just because life becomes hard for you, it doesn't mean you are alone, or that your life has become an impossibility.
If the wind comes at you head on, you don't turn around and let it take you out to sea - you tack! You may not be able to travel in a straight line. The journey may become longer. But, you can make it!
So, no. There isn't a drive through window to pick up a better life, or a solution to your problems. You can't ask God to take you from Point A to Z. God doesn't lay it all out there for you. He gives you directions, one step at a time. That's why we call it the "word of the Lord", not the "plan of the Lord", and not the "will of the Lord". You've first got to listen.
It all comes down to this... Don't worry. And, let God lead you to your rainbow.
One of the craziest mascots in all of sports is the Stanford Tree. Well, last night I got to see it in person. Only an hour after arriving in San Francisco I drove down to Palo Alto (home of Stanford University). It is a georgeous area. Pristine yards, streets, great weather. I didn't realize how close I actually was to Stanford, and once I did I had to drive through. Driving through the campus I began to notice tons of people walking to a building. It meant only one thing - a basketball game! I had time to spare, and I figured "carpe diem".
$37 later, I had a ticket in the upper level (real small arena, so the seats weren't too bad) for the Stanford vs. #9 Washington Huskies game. I stayed only through the first half, but it turns out that Stanford won!
For me, the $37 ticket was much worth it just to see the tree. How funny is it to have a tree dancing around the floor trying to pump up the crowd. "Who were the ad geniuses to come up with that one?"
