All it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed right? Removing those obstacles from our lives can sometimes be overwhelming. Our identity is sometimes crafted by our thoughts, desires, and pure emotions on how we think our lives should be. If you've ever had a sleepless night, paced the floor in the wee hours of the morning, cried yourself to sleep due to frustration, or sat and wondered whatever happened to those dreams you had as a child then your faith has been tested. Why did they not come to fruition? Did you not plan your life according to the outcome you wanted? Did you become unfocused?
We blame ourselves and throw pity parties when we've "failed"! What is failure though? Failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Success on the other hand, can be defined a few ways: something which happens as a consequence, the outcome/result, the achievement of one's aim or goal, etc. What I have discovered is according to both terms, it's an outcome of an objective.
The older we get, the more we become specific to our set goals. We make plans on how we will achieve them, the necessary steps we must take, and what our next goal will be. Recall when you had to write a paper on where you would be in a year, five, or even ten years. For me, it was an abstract way of thinking. I've never really planned my life out. No more than most little girls. I can remember playing with my barbies and thinking about how I wanted to go to college, meet my future husband, get married, have the huge house on a hill with a white picket fence, and be an entrepreneur. That didn't seem too hard to achieve. The older I got, the more I realized I would actually have to put forth effort to achieve them.
The effort you set forth can either get you where you want to be or extremely distant from your desired outcome. I know what you are saying, "But Tekela, what if I have planned everything out? What if I have done all that I can and I'm still not where I want to be in life?" I got you. I understand. As much as I'm writing this to encourage you on your journey through life, I'm asking myself the same questions.
I've always lived by the mantra that "life happens". Regardless of how well you're doing or if you've hit rock bottom, life continues. As long as you have breath in your body you have another second to create your destiny. In my heart I believe that's true. However, frustration can rear its ugly little head and cause doubt. It can tell you that you can't be what you want to be, that no one loves you, or that you're not good enough. In the Bible, having faith the size of a mustard seed is mentioned a few times:
Matthew 17:20 If he have faith the size of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto the mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall move.
Mark 4:31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.
Luke 13:19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.
I encourage you to continue pressing your way through whatever your situation is. To remember that patience is a virtue. It's okay to take a few steps back, as longs as you continue moving forward. Live your life for you and not for the satisfaction or entertainment of others. Make your thoughts a garden and plant the necessary and appropriate seeds for growth: mentally, physically, and spiritually.
As I always say, do something nice for yourself and someone else. Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Kela
