“Don’t let anything stand in the way of you claiming and manifesting the life that you choose rather than the life you have by default.” – Joy Page
I came across this quote while doing research on a speech for Toastmasters. I thought that it was deep and insightful. I started thinking about myself and my friends. I started thinking about our relationships with each other and our relationships with ourselves and I wondered: How many times have I watched someone I love going down the wrong path and felt helpless to do something? How many times have I seen people blame the product of their environment or their generational curses on their situation instead of claiming their destiny?
One of the things that I have learned on my Christian journey is that the God I serve is an all encompassing, loving and enlightening God. He wants me to be the best me I can be and He will always be there. My situations and/or circumstances don’t define me. I am just going through my storms. I have suffered and seen many horrific things in my 36 years on this Earth, but I know who I am and I claim my destiny. I am a survivor. That is what I want each of you to do. Claim your destiny. Find out who you are so that you can claim the life you want instead of living the life you are by default. So what if your car gets repossessed because you lost your job! So what if your house gets foreclosed on because you got a bad mortgage loan and you have medical expenses you can’t pay! So what?
Understand this…The God you serve is an Almighty God! He will not forsake you. The same God that got you that house, will get you another one. The same God that got you that car will get you another one. I had a friend tell me a long time ago that her husband had lost his job and they couldn’t pay their car note. They were barely able to keep food on the table and the roof over their head. She said that the Repo men came late one night to get the car. She said she opened the door and said, “Here are the keys.” She said I didn’t hide the car at my friends or family’s house. She said, “I knew I couldn’t pay the bill so, I let it go.” She said she knew her faith was strong and that God will provide. He did.
She let that car go. The car was material. How many of us are holding on to the materialistic things in our lives trying to project an image when our insides are “tore up from the floor up”?But what are you going to do? Are you going to put on a mask for the world including those that love you? Are you going to deny that you are not hurting when everything around you seems to be falling apart? Don’t you know that I care? It’s like that song “Lean on me” by Bill Withers:
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don’t let show
Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Part of being friends is to let your friends know if you need help. If you don’t feel comfortable telling me your business, answer this are we truly friends? Maybe we’re just associates. I can’t help you if you won’t let me in. I can’t be the friend you need if you put up a wall and act like your world is perfect. Trust that by understanding and accepting yourself for who you are and what you want you become a survivor and no longer a victim.
A Thomas Point of View 