Christina and Chance Jones, center with their Pastor and First Lady, Elder Larry and Sister Doris Willis, Morse Street Baptist Church in Denton, celebrating Christina being inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success at TWU
By Sister Tarpley
This column is to encourage Christians or anyone ton ever give up on their dream or goal.
Sometimes life seems hard to bear, full of trouble, sorrow and woe. It’s then I have to remember that it’s “In the Valleys I Grow.” Because I remember, it takes two mountains to make one valley.
If I always stayed on the mountaintop and never experienced pain, I would never appreciate God’s love and would be living in vain.
I do not always understand why things happen as they do, but I’m very sure of one thing, the Lord will see me through.
My valleys are nothing when I picture Christ on the cross; He went through the valley of death, His victory is Satan’s loss and our gain.
Forgive me Lord for complaining when I’m feeling so very low. Just give me a gentle reminder that’s it’s “In the Valleys I Grow.”
Continue to strengthen me, Lord and use my life each day to share Your love with others and help them find their way.
Thank you Lord for the Valleys, for this one thing I know, the mountaintops are glorious, but “It’s In the Valleys I Grow.”
Forgetting Your Past: “God has made me forget all my troubles . . .” Genesis 41:51 (KJV). Have you been hurt? Are you struggling to get back on your feet? If so, begin taking these steps.
First, pray to communicate with God.
Second, refuse to be or live like a victim. When you decide to stop looking for sympathy and start looking for solutions, you’ll begin to find them. God opens new doors, but when He does, walk through them and accept responsibility for your future.
Third, isolate the problem, not the person. Everybody’s not the same. Don’t let what one or two people did to you affect all your other relationships! Once you are able to isolate the event, you can stop the adversary from using your past to contaminate your future.
Fourth, let God’s ‘perfect love’ heal your scars. His love for you is the only love that is perfect enough to cast all your fears away; 1 John 4:18 (KJV). Fear of what you say? Perhaps it’s the fear of trusting anyone else, or even yourself! Perhaps even the fear of being known and rejected. Only in the classroom of God’s love can you build your self-worth and learn to make healthy choices.
Fifth, don’t stop with God. God’s love and acceptance is the prescription that will carry you through so that you can help others too. You can keep it only if you give it away! Listen: ‘Joseph named his first born “Manasseh” and said, “It is because God had made me forget all my trouble . . .” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” Genesis 41:51-52 (KJV). And what God did for Joseph, He’ll do for you!
Most people love to identify with a dream or a goal in life and contributing to something worthwhile. If a dream or goal is worthwhile and the belief in it is strong enough, the strength of the dream or goal will take over and keep a person moving forward even when they become physically exhausted. An individual may give out, but he/she should never give up.
