Kenya's a good sport though. When he messes up a dish, he'll admit it... most of the time at least.
Well, yesterday, he was in the mood to cook. Of course, I didn't mind at all. I was content to relax and let him experiment away. He sauteed yellow squash and zucchini with mushrooms and onions; baked some fish; and cooked up some rice to go with it. Once dinner was done, before I could even get a spoonful of the sauteed veggies on my plate, Kenya said, "I made some corn for you babe, because you probably won't like the zucchini and squash."
Still, I wanted to try it anyway, because it looked so good.
When I sat down, stuck my fork into the heaping vegetable mix, and put it in my mouth, oh my... it was so tasty. "Mmmm," I said closing my eyes. "Honey this is really good." When I looked over at him, I noticed the surprised look on his face. Kenya had already convinced himself that, since he's botched dishes before, this would be just another experiment gone wrong.
It turned out to be one of his best tasting meals yet. Now all I need is a pin to deflate his head because suddenly he thinks he's Emeril Lagasse... walking around screaming out, "Bam!"
This experience made me think about how we often allow our past failures to make us doubt the possibility of future successes. Somewhere along the way, our expectations get lower and lower. We anticipate failure, instead of believing God for victory.
I know it's human nature to view our future in the context of our history, but the Lord is challenging us to adopt a new perspective--one that is rooted in faith. He wants us to see that, no matter how many times we've experienced defeat and made mistakes in the past, victory is still possible. But we have to believe that. If we never get beyond our mess-ups, slip-ups, and trip-ups, just like Kenya with dinner yesterday, we'll second-guess our abilities. We won't even realize all the wonderful things God has given us the power to produce and accomplish.
And the Lord doesn't want us to live that way.
You see, in order to move forward, you cannot allow yourself to be defined by your past. Otherwise, your vision will be clouded. You'll be fearful, doubtful, cynical, and skeptical. These are all things that will hold you back and hinder you from tapping into your true potential.
Today, God is challenging you to leave the past in the past. Know that your failures, hurts, and setbacks can only define you if you allow them to. You have the power to move forward.
Go ahead and take a step. You'll be surprised by what you're really capable of accomplishing with the help of the Lord. Your best days are in front of you, if you can stop looking behind you. Don't be defined by your past, rather, embrace who God says you are. Then and only then will you be able to be all God has destined you to become.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
