Over the weekend, my husband Kenya immersed himself in a DIY project in the attic. To complete it, it required that he put up a piece of drywall. So he had to measure, cut, and then lock it in place with a hammer and nails.
The kids and I pitched in and made it a family task by helping to hold the drywall sheet in place while Kenya banged away.
Initially, after he had hammered in a couple nails, when we moved our hands away, those sharp pointed pieces of metal slipped right out. At first, I assumed the approach wasn’t working, but that wasn’t it at all.
It was just that the weight of the massive sheet was far too great for a couple nails to hold in place. But as Kenya took his time and hammered away, by degrees, the sheet became more secure.
After some time passed, with lots of banging of course, the drywall was perfectly affixed to the wooden beams beneath—something that never would have happened if we acted on my earlier assumption. Good thing my husband stayed focused on his course and didn’t quit. Otherwise, the kids and I would not have seen the completion of a successful project on our home’s fourth level.
Just like that, in life we can assume that a course of action is not working because we don’t see immediate results. So we abandon a specific path that actually would work if we would just give it some time, keep hammering away, and remain consistent.
Too often, we get discouraged when we don’t see the fruit of our labor right away. So we walk away from something in its infancy, without allowing it to blossom to full maturity. That’s a big mistake! Any and everything given to you by God must be managed, developed, and cultivated.
Though it’s not easy to stay on track when you don’t see much happening, you have to if you ever want to experience real growth and fulfillment in your life. Trust me, I know! There have been plenty of times when I was heading in a particular direction where there was no perceivable progress in the initial (and sometimes late) stages. But I just kept on going.
I now look back and say I’m so glad I did.
Some of my greatest blessings have come from opportunities and projects I almost walked away from in a moment of frustration and discouragement.
Take a moment and imagine what would happen if “Farmer Jane” stopped tending her field because she was tired of looking at seeds when she was ready for her harvest? She would never reap anything, would she?
In much the same way, all of us will go through times of putting in work without seeing results. But if we keep on pushing, striving, and hammering away, things will come together.
That’s why I’m stirring Hebrews 6:11-12 into your cup of inspiration. It says, “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup you will be reminded that your divine destiny is based on what you accept and refuse. You must accept God’s will, timing, and the responsibility of cultivating your dream. And refuse to give up, quit, or walk away from your destiny.
Now let’s pray.
God, I thank You for reminding me that if I don’t continue persevere, I will miss out on all the amazing things You have reserved only for those who refuse to give up. Please help me to hang in there, and not allow discouragement to cause me to walk away from my destiny, because I want all you have for me! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
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