Spirit Online
August 22, 2010
Quote
Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit of pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody but unbowed,
It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. -“Invictus” William Ernest Henley
Scripture
Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.— Luke 22:42
Thoughts
There once was a South American Indian chief who admired bravery and courage and strength so much that he offered a reward of anything an individual wanted if he would jump from the highest cliff into an alligator infested river and successfully reach the other side! Now everyone in the tribe scoffed at this because they know this was an impossible task, and anyone who attempted to undertake this challenge would face certain death. So, no one took this dare seriously. Days and weeks went by, and one day the tribe was at the edge of the cliff when they heard a splash from down below. They all looked in amazement as a young warrior swam through the water feverishly with alligators lashing at his loincloth. And somehow, miraculously, he reached the other side safely. Well, the great chief saw this and stood there on the edge of the cliff and said, “I am a man of my word. Young warrior, for achieving this great task, you can have anything you want. What is it you want?” From down below, the young warrior, exhausted and tired, shouted up to the chief, “Chief, I want, I want, I want to know who pushed me off that cliff!”
Ever feel like you’ve been pushed or fell or even jumped into that alligator infested river of life? Well what that river really represents is the troubles, turmoils, traumas and crises we have all experienced at one time or another. They can be relationship rivers, financial rivers, health rivers, spiritual rivers, or career rivers. And the question isn’t, “how do we avoid the rivers,” because this is just part of life, but the bigger question is, “how do we handle it when in the midst...” So how do we handle a situation that hits us so hard and knocks us down so far, that we wonder if we can, or will, or even want to ever get back up again?
Jesus, our master teacher and way shower, modeled to us how to live through challenges and crises. And even he wondered in those moments if he could get through to the other side. In the garden of Gethsemane he spoke those words: “Father, take this cup from me….” And what he was really saying is “I’m not sure if I’ve got what it takes to get through this….” Even though he had fear and he had doubt, he had an unconquerable soul, he knew he could make it through any situation and reach the other side. He knew that there was a spirit within him that was greater than any person, any situation or any challenge that he would face. There was a power within that no fire could burn, no water could drown, no sword could pierce. He taught us that we have an indomitable spirit, an unconquerable soul that can move through and get across any alligator infested river. Each one of us has that overcoming spirit within us that can get us through our greatest challenges.
There are four principles of how to make it through to the other side of any challenge we may face and the first is forgiveness. If when the young warrior who was pushed into the river, if he had taken even a moment to look back to see who had pushed him, well the alligators would have consumed him! Forgiveness may be one of the hardest things to do, but it is necessary to survival. This is the time to open your heart, to pray and meditate on forgiveness. This is the time to release anger, hatred, self-pity and resentment. Many times, we all hold onto the anger, we don’t want to forgive because we feel it would be like letting those who wronged us off the hook. But really, the only person that gets let off the hook when we forgive is our self! When our hearts are filled with anger, bitterness, resentment and hatred, there is no room for love and peace, joy and laughter! This is our time to let go…let go and make space for God to fill our hearts!
The second principle to work on is focus. When going through difficult times, it is important to not focus on the alligators. Focus on getting to the other side, focus on the solutions, on the good…on God. Never underestimate the power of focus. In the book of Philippians, 3:13-14, it says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which I have been called heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Let go of what is behind and focus on God, on the good, on your greatest dreams, desires and prayers.
The third principle is faith, for that is what helps us in taking every single stroke that will help us get across the river. It may not be easy, in fact it could be very hard…but faith makes it do-able. Faith keeps us moving in the direction of our dreams. Never give up…
Gratitude is the final principle ~ be grateful for what you have in this very moment. If you don’t appreciate what you have now, you will never be able to be thankful and enjoy the things you desire later. Be grateful for what you have no matter how little you might think it is. Appreciate every little thing you have, that are a part of you, that support you on your journey, every person, place and experience you have and then watch what you have grow!
Dear friend, every one of us has our challenges, we all have swam through the alligator infested rivers of life. We’ve endured, we’ve grown, we’ve become who we are today because of those difficulties, because of the relationships we’ve had and the experiences we walked through. And thank you God, we are here, today, to remember and be reminded that we are stronger, more courageous, smarter and have deeper faith because of those experiences. Yes, thank you God for our ability to forgive, to focus on our dreams and desires, to anchor into our faith and to give thanks for all the many blessings that are here right now for us, and for the many blessings that are yet to come. Thank you God for our unconquerable souls! God bless us all!
Prayer
Thank you God for the inspiration of this message. And as I move into prayer and meditation, I open a space for guidance. I open a space to know you at an even deeper level dear God. I am truly grateful for all of my abilities and I know that as I encounter any alligator infested rivers of life, I have what I need in each and every moment to successful, easily, gracefully move through and be in the flow of life. And so it is, Amen.
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