You can be faulted for failing but never accept fault for trying
I had really high hopes for my event and I certainly worked myself to the bone to make sure all my guests would leave with a positive Dazzle experience. I was on the verge of panic when it didn’t go according to plan but I took a moment and looked around.
There were a number of people who showed up just because I had asked them to and in exchange for their showing up I got to wow them with the vibrant Spring colours I had put together in my collection, Floral and I saw a few fingers snap when I sang some Erykah Badu to top it off. We all had a good laugh as I presented the contenders for the best dressed prize, I had no idea I could own the mic as I did in that moment.
Anyone could have told me that I was up against a tough set of more enticing weekend prospects but I wasn’t competing I was setting my own standard like I always do. The reward wasn’t about how many more people I could pull to my event than the big players, the reward was in the fact that I took an idea which came up over a random conversation and made it something.
Flowers Food & Fancy Things is the first thing I’ve ever brought to life as Sharon. So yes you can fault me for failing because there were definitely some points where the ball was dropped but you can’t fault me for trying and I will be trying again very soon.
2 Kings 6vs27-30
I’ve been down with the flu, yes surprisingly Christians do catch the flu especially if they haven’t been getting enough rest and hydrating like they should. This monstrous ailment had me in bed by 5pm and I was passed out until a random call at about 8.30pm from a friend looking for safe drinking water.
It was really a face palm moment because for some reason he had not thought to get borehole water rather than drive around looking for bottled water which is now scarce and trading at a lot higher than it was just two weeks ago. Just as we hung up I got into a conversation with God and I was like, “But God what is the point of all this? People are struggling, things shooting up and for me the pressure from home.”
It was a few seconds and then He answered with 2 Kings 6vs27-30. I’m not going to act like it came in that format because it didn’t, lest just say my bible gathers dust sometimes and though I’m not proud of it I prefer to be honest. I had to late-app a few contacts to get the exact scripture and even then I started questioning myself because cannibalism is just one of those things you wouldn’t expect to see in the good book.
All I knew is that I had to read the story about the women who had agreed to eat each other’s children in a time of famine. They boiled and ate the one then when it was time to boil and eat the second one the mother had hidden him. Naturally the first mother felt cheated and reported this to the King who then decided Elisha was to blame and should be beheaded. Sidenote When you are selected by God many threats come your way but He delivers you from them all.
I read on until chapter 8 and was intrigued to learn that there wasn’t any formal trial for what had happened and I think as people we get stuck on the goring details while missing the miracle that we are each still alive. That on its own is a daily miracle because Lord knows we are rude, impatient, hold grudges and generally as unpleasant as we try to be pleasant but thankfully He doesn’t love us for our actions He loves us because we are His.
I read a picture message the other day it said “imagine if you woke up only with what you thanked God for yesterday” this hit me hard. There are A LOT of things I take for granted like only having the flu yet someone is on their death bed from terminal cancer.
Things like being mobile at all when someone will never own their own vehicle in this lifetime. Things like having the little bit of money that can’t buy much these days when someone has to go into the bin and eat the chicken you left over on the bone because you don’t like that piece.
I have a small exercise for you. When you get home after work this evening just take a moment to appreciate your little somebody(s) and imagine what kind of hardship it would take to convince you to cook and eat them if ever. I know it sounds kind of silly but I think that’s exactly the point. When have things ever gotten so bad that your next meal was a child? Could we just take a moment and be grateful that we can laugh about eating chunks instead of meat.
How about the fact that we may have to queue forever but we still get that little bit of fuel to get by? I’m not saying let’s ignore the blaring reality but I’m just saying it’s not as bad as it could be and I don’t think God is out there kinda biting his nails as things unfold. This is the God who is, who was and who is to come what is too difficult for Him?
If things aren’t shifting as fast or in the way we’d like it may be time to start asking ourselves what is extending our journey in the wilderness. Forty years is a ridiculous amount of time to be making a journey to the Promised Land but God has nothing but time. It is us whose time runs out and also likewise us who reject God’s ways for our own so before you remind God about the problem in the prayer closet tonight how about you acknowledge how far you’ve come despite the hardship.
My prayer today is for us to learn to praise through the pain. With a thankful heart we can never go wrong because we will never out-thank God’s goodness. For that person who was just about to have their last meal and “die” may you see the hand of our Father replenish your spirit, body & soul. For man shall not live by bread alone. Amen
