Encouragement

Photo courtesy of Google Images

There is never a bad time to give or receive encouragement.  It is the state of being in a place where someone or something gives you hope.  It reminds me of faith (state of hoping for something that has not manifested yet).  Before my Grandfather passed, I was in his bedroom talking to him one day.  We were talking about things that happened in our lives and things that were going on in our lives at the time.  At some point during the conversation, he said, "My life was hard, but it was good."

Granddaddy only had a third grade education.  He came up in a time when children were taking from school to work to help support the family.  As we were conversing one day, he inquired about my classes.  I was in Junior College at the time and I told him how rough it was especially while having to work a full-time job at the same time.  He gave me so many words of encouragement that night, I just couldn't post them all.  The one thing that stood out to me was the summation of his life.  It has become one of my famous quotes during one of my motivational engagements:
 "Man is only as strong as his faith.  The more it is exercised, the stronger he becomes."  ~ Elegant Granny

During my Grandfathers life, he had to endure so many things to overcome not only to help himself, but to assist his family members to have a better life.  As the patriarch in the family, there was always a word of encouragement coming from this man.  He also encouraged us to do the same with each other, and others we come into contact with.

My Grandfather never saw me graduate from college, but there was a surety within him that said I was going to make it.  Today, I am working on my MBA, and still working full-time (plus up to 32hrs of overtime during the week).  I am also working on publishing other work besides my three blogs.  I am so grateful to God for the times we shared.  Those words he gave me were always the best pick me up I needed.

Encouragement is one of the greatest gifts you can give.  My gift to you, is to always believe you're going to make it no matter how hard it becomes.  Whenever you feel as if you won't, remember why you started on your journey in the first place.  Once you realize how far you've come, you won't want to turn around.

Much love,
Granny

It's Not About You - Part 2

Bishop Motley Davis
Pastor of Higher Heights Cathedral of Deliverance

Yesterday, I read a status on Facebook that said, "Will you please stop doubting God?????....You are insulting Him when you doubt Him.....Trust and never doubt.....He will surely bring you out.....Just take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there."  - Bishop Motley Davis

                                                                                                  

Granny's testimony:
In 2003, I was laid off from work, for the third time.  The same year, my legs decided they did not want to work anymore.  The Doctors tried to discover what the problem was, but to no avail.  They decided I should not try to work until they found what was going on with me.  Me, on the other hand, decided I needed to be busy.  Everyday, a friend of mine, who was laid off with me, went job hunting.  While she was able to walk at a normal or quick pace, I was going at a very slow pace, shuffling in very slow motion, hardly bending my knees.  At the end of each day, we would retire at her apartment to relax and work on a game plan for the next day.  One day, her roommate, who happened to be home with some of her friends, decided to ask, "How are you going to get hired with your legs not working right?"  My reply was, "I'm going to get a job."  One of the roommate's friends said, "No one is going to hire you looking like that."  We were all looking for jobs.  My reply to this lady was, "I'm going to get a job.  As a matter of fact, I will have one before you."  By the end of the following week, I had a job working in a retail store in the mall which required me to use my legs a lot.  Being of a competitive nature, I took the challenge on deciding I was going to be the best Sales Associate that store had seen in a while.  As usual, we went back to my friend's apartment, same doubting females still there, haven't looked for a job that day while I came in exclaiming I had one.  One said, "How are you going to do that job when it requires you to move around a lot with your legs like that?"  I answered, "I asked God for a job that will assist me in strengthening my legs and He did. You'll see."
As time went on, I reported to work faithfully.  Did what was asked of me faithfully.  Never complained, never looking for an easy way out of doing my share of the work load.  My legs became stronger.  Before anyone knew it, I was pretty much running half the time - I was hired during the Christmas season. A lot of people were rushing in and I was responsible for refilling stock on the floor.
By the end of the season, my legs were back to functioning properly.  The medicine the Physicians had given me, continued to sit at the bedside table without me taking any.  I figured why take them for something if they could not tell me why my legs weren't functioning properly in the first place.

When life dealt me a bad hand, I played the best hand I had.  I chose to believe God.  I never knew God to lie so I depended on Him to get me through this and He did.  I knew that sitting around at home on temporary disability and taking medicine was not going to work.  I knew within myself, that more mobility on my part was the answer.  My act of faith is what caused God to move on my behalf.
Months later, the same ladies that were doubting still did not have a job.  I was enjoying my strength, my new job, and mobility.  There were others, who knew my testimony and believed God according to what they saw Him do in my life and received great results.
Time has passed since this event.  The last few years, I ran into some of these ladies again.  Everyone is doing well now.

So what does all this have to do with the title?  There is always someone needing to hear your testimony of how you overcame a bad hand dealt to you in life.  It gives them a sense of hope and helps them to hold on a little longer because they have something to identify with.  Had I not believed God, the people who received results because of the actions they took according to the testimony they witnessed in my life, they would most likely still be in the position of a defeated mind set.  And God would not have gotten the glory out of my testimony. 

When life dealt you a bad hand, what was your reaction?

For part one click here
To view another testimony click here
For a worship experience with Bishop at Higher Heights Cathedral of Deliverance, click link here or picture above. 

Much love,
Granny