Courage For Today

single

The Power of Enlarging Your Steps

Strength

Sometimes, as a grandparent, I find myself doing things that I probably shouldn’t do.  I suppose it all boils down to love for the kids, but I think back on some of my adventures and suddenly realize that there is no way I would ever do some of the things I’ve done, if not for wanting to spend time with the grand-kids.

One of those questionable adventures occurred a couple of years ago at a local theme park.  The kids wanted to play on a rope course designed for children.  It was an exciting looking course filled with ropes, rope ladders, wooden beams and all sorts of things that would thrill a kid.  Like any good grandparent, I gave them permission to participate and off we went.  Only after getting to the entrance was I told the thrilling news that one of my grandchildren was too short to walk on the course without an adult.  I certainly couldn’t tell him “no” and allow him to sit and watch his big brother have a blast, so I agreed to walk the course with him.

The course started off fairly easy with simple and easy to navigate paths.  As the course progressed, the challenges got harder until eventually I found myself on a single strand of rope several feet above the ground with very little to hold on to.  Of course, the kids were far ahead of me.  They weren’t waiting for grandpa.  After some careful, step-by-step circus work, I was able to cross the more difficult single strand of rope and finish on a wooden platform where I could re-gain my composure.  After a few moments of resting, I managed to continue on to the next section of the course which involved much wider, wooden planks; much like a scaffolding or a ramp.  This was a piece of cake compared to the single wire I had earlier climbed.

God’s word says in Psalms 18, verse 36 says that HE has enlarged (or made wide) my steps so that I won’t slip.  How true this verse is in our everyday Christian lives.  God has a way of making things easy when the world views those same things as difficult.  God has a way of clearing a path for us when we see no way out.  You may be going through one of those times in your life when you feel like you’re walking a single tightrope.  Just remember, His Word promises that wider steps and a firm foundation are ahead of you.

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Alone in a Crowd

Self-Worth

February is typically known as the Month of Valentines.  It’s that magical time of the year when we dote on our loved ones. Maybe this year, it will be a beautiful bouquet of Roses. Or, perhaps the delicious box of chocolates is this year’s choice. I always preferred a hand-written note for my wife since I usually can’t find a card that really expresses what I want to say.

Even though I am blessed with a wonderful wife and family, I am burdened this time of year for those that may not seemingly have the same blessings of family that I do. There are many of us that are single. There are many of us who have recently lost loved ones. Many of us have families that don’t get along and fight. My heart goes out to those individuals.

What sometimes makes it even worse is that those who are single are often surrounded by co-workers and other friends and associates who are proud of their own relationships, but somehow it comes across as boastful. Unfortunately, despite our good intentions this only makes the loneliness of the individual standout more.

For those of us that are blessed with wonderful, loving, and caring relationships that we celebrate on Valentines, let us not forget those that may not be as fortunate. Let us be careful that we include them in activities and be careful that we don’t belittle them or think less of them because they are “single.” Society today seems to place a strong stigma on being “single” and I’m not quite sure why? I think our Society sometimes pressures a single person into jumping into a relationship they probably shouldn’t, just so they won’t be single any longer. I fully believe this pressure is one contributing factor to our high Divorce rate. Those that are single are sometimes unfairly looked upon as less desirable or unacceptable. I believe it is far better not to be in a relationship at all and be single, than be in a harmful relationship only so that Society will not look down upon you.

Loneliness is a terrible thing.  Loneliness is a strong emotion that makes us sometimes make decisions that we wouldn’t ordinarily make. I would encourage you to stand strong. Be thankful for your own personal gifts and strengths. Believe me, you have some. Be thankful that you have not been pushed by societal pressure to make a decision you might someday regret. Be thankful of the person that you are and fall in love with yourself. Not in an arrogant, conceited manner. But, really fall in love with who you are; what you are about; and where you are in life. When you do this, the pressure to not be single doesn’t seem as unbearable.

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