Happy Friday, Team!
Are you excited to have made it to another end of the week? I am ready. This week brought my husband and me to another year of marriage, which gave me pause to thank God for almost 40 years of marriage. And for you that remember me saying I have been married forty years, my husband always reminds me of my age and the number of years we have been married. He asks me if I am sure when I “claim” the number. So, I must get a pen and paper to determine the exact number. The older I get, the more I must complete this exercise. Anyway, I am happy that God has blessed us with another year.
Reflecting on the years, I recall how much work it takes to make a solid and long-lasting marriage. Fortunately for me, I had great role models in my life. My grandmother and grandfather demonstrated what commitment looked like as I saw them go through good times and challenging times. I watched them laugh and cry. I saw them work hard so that their children would not have to experience the difficulties they had experienced. I saw them sacrifice so their children wouldn’t have to do the same. And I think of what was happening in the US when they lived in the south. From the 1900s, when both my grandparents were born, they were free because the US had abolished slavery. However, with three amendments to the Constitution (13th, 14th, *and 15th), they still had to live in an oppressed environment. Even the Supreme Court passed decisions that virtually nullified the work of Congress during Reconstruction. The stories I have read in books by Heather Mcghee, Mehrsa Baradaran, Carol Anderson, Michelle Alexander, and Robin DeAngleo are chilling and telling of how committed people were to live free.
Situations can cause us to get disillusioned with life and give up, which happens to so many people. But for those who don’t give up, why don’t they? What causes one person to press on and another to give up? Maybe people who are unmotivated to pursue their goals fail, while those who have hope strive more. I don’t know the answer, but I know that a commitment mindset is essential for whatever you want to achieve, whether a long-term relationship, a successful career, a strong bond with children, or friendships that last a lifetime. Of course, things will not always go your way, but will you stick it out and adjust? Are you willing to step back and let someone else shine? Are you ready to on some days give 100% when another gives 0%? The reality is that’s how life works, and committed people learn to adjust to circumstances daily.
I will close this Friday’s inspiration with scripture in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the goal to win the prize of being called to heaven in Christ Jesus.” So, I encourage you with this scripture and remind you whenever there is a challenge facing you, commit yourself to stick with it and learn to press on. Consider yourself bending but not breaking. Also, remember God will meet you where you are, giving you the strength you need for the day. May God bless you and keep you.
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