For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. --Jeremiah 29:11
Good Morning!
What is your dream? As I drove to work today I began to think of all the dreams that I have had concerning my life. I remember first wanting to be a disk-jocky on the radio, so I used to DJ for all of my grandmother's friends when they came over and some would even tip me. I remembered one day telling my Nana (my grandmother as most of you know) when I was very young (around 8 or 9 years old) that I wanted to start my own business and that I was going to be a millionaire by the time I was 30 (I've changed that to "billionaire" since then!!!). She then asked me what I wanted to do and has encouraged me every step of the way. I remembered hammering through all of my talents and likes and I told her that I wanted to own my own printing business, so I started making business cards for my school counselors, teachers and principals. And even through the quality of my work then pales in comparison to my graphic design/printing skills now, I believed in my product, I had faith in the creation of my hands so others believed in my work as well and they paid me for my creations (or sowed into my future).
My friend, I want to encourage you today not to let go of your dream(s) (and if you are anything like me....you have a lot of them). I have found that if you don't believe in yourself--others definitely wont believe in you and you have to dare to believe in yourself even when others wont! I have also come to realize that a dream will remain a dream and will never come into its full fruition unless you step out and act on it. Well how do I begin you may ask? The answer is as simple as this; JUST DO IT! No matter the opposition, no matter if you fail at trying or even if people who are close to you abandon you because you are going for your dream...JUST DO IT! If you have a dream of owning a bakery then start selling cakes to those around you. Get a name together for your business. Operate as if you have thousands of employees and clients. Yes, business may be slow at times, use that time to better your craft, to invest in yourself and your company. During your down time, come up with new ideas and product that others don't have. Its in you, but you cant allow discouraging times to dismiss your dream. God said it in his word that He has given you the power to get wealth...plug in baby and watch it flow! You see, its better to try and to fail than to never try and never fail. Failure gives you experience, makes you stronger and shows you how to make a thing work the next go around. You must not be afraid of what people will think. Worrying about other peoples opinions will keep you poor, broke, disgusted and busted. So you have to make a decision; am I going to stay stuck in my current situation or am I going to step out and make it happen!
There have been many things I have stepped out and done, some which were and are a success and some that were not. I had to learn quick to get over the failures and try again. I had to learn that it wasn't that I was meant to fail or that it was even my fault that I failed. But I try to get the lesson from the failure and take my idea, venture or task back to the drawing board and apply my new found experience to it to make it work. Sometimes having to do this multiple times on the same venture. But as I look and read about the lives of people like Bill Gates, Donald Trump, TD Jakes and many others I see that one of the underlying ingredients for success is ironically FAILURE! (WOW!) So you mean that in order to be successful I will have to hit some not so favorable times and situations. Yea...but just know it happened to make you and not to destroy you. With that mentality and determination...you are bound to succeed and to make it!
Who told you that you couldn't make it? Who told you that the Lord wouldn't see you through and that you would die in your current situation the way others did before you? I decree today that no weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment God shall condemn (Isaiah 54:17). YOU WILL MAKE IT! YOU WILL LIVE AND NOT DIE...no...not like this! In Jeremiah chapter 29 the Prophet Jeremiah sends a letter to the Jews who were taken into captivity in Babylon and were being lied to and led astray by those who had taken it upon themselves to prophecy in the Lords name when he hadn't sent them. Jeremiah encouraged those there in Babylon by basically speaking the word that the Lord sent through him which also included the promise found in verse 11. The word came that although they were in exile that at the end of their 70th year in Babylon God would deliver and bring all His promises toward them to pass. What does that mean you may ask...well just like the people taken from Jerusalem to Babylon had to go through a process to get to their promise so do we! I like it the way "The Message Bible" explains this passage of scripture, it says: "This is God 's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." So no matter how long it may seem like you are going through--just know that God is with you and that there is an expected or predestined end that you will experience the promises of the Lord for the believer!
God has great things in store for you but you have to make a move! Whatever your dream is my friend, go after it because its already declared that you will make it! I realize now that I had to start by dj'ing my grandmothers parties, to get to the place where I would initiate trainings to learn to sight read and sing music to getting to the place where I now write my own music that is pleasing unto God. I understand that I had to start by making business cards for my school administration in order to move to a place where I now have corporations calling me to provide my services to them. I see now that because I'm daring to be a multi-billionaire that I have to go through times where I loose (or give away) hundreds, thousands (and someday millions) in order to go through the process to gain the experience needed to be a successful multi-billionaire!!! (Glory to God!) And its going to come through hard work, prayer and trust in God, not through deceptive measures or by being a "Pulpit Con-Artist"! (Somebody say AMEN!) What you are experiencing now...Its all a part of your process my friend. My prayer for you (and myself) is that we will remain strong and keep the faith through the "meantime season". Finally I want to pose this question to you; Who are you going to bring out with you when you make it to your "expected end"? Think about it! We become so that others may become.
Have a blessed and empowering week and remember in the words of Pastor William Murphy, Jr., "it's never too late to do what you should have done...it's never too late to start over again...its never too late to chase after your dreams!"
Much Love,
Clyde L. Webster
Words for thought:
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." --TS Eliot
No comments:
Post a Comment