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Wednesday
Feb112009

Rise Above Your Difficulties

By adopting a certain frame of mind, a philosophy of thinking, we tap in to an ability inside that has the power to lift and put us over.  I am reminded of the story of a small black boy at a county fair.  A man was blowing up balloons and letting them float up into the sky, the balloons were of all colors.  "Do you suppose that black one will go as high as the rest?" the little boy asked.  The man looked into the eyes of this young boy and said, "It's not the color on the outside that makes the balloon go high, it's what on the inside."

Consider the following people who chose to rise above their difficulties:

Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up." (his capitals, mind you)

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.

The sun always outlasts the storm, storms come and go but the sun is always shining.  This is a required philosophy for living courageously in this world.  "Rejoice not against me O my enemies for when I fall I shall arise."  Difficulties may cause us to fall or stumble but with God's help we shall arise.  You might think you are defeated but you are not. Get up! With God you can overcome your difficulties and live the victorious life for which you were created.

Consider asking God to guide you and show you His best as you follow this week's Action Steps:

1. Take time right now and each morning this week to visualize, "God is for me". Really see God being for you and visualize how much God loves you! If you believe God is for you, who can be against you?

2. Change how you see the situation, look beyond it, look above it. See yourself getting beyond it and it making you stronger. Get free from it.

3. Say to yourself, "This to shall pass" I will get beyond this.  The sun always outlasts the storm. Remember, God saw everything and did not count you out, so do not disqualify yourself.