I consider myself to be the most optimistic person on God’s green earth. I hardly ever lose faith, but I’ve noticed lately that I’ve been praying, but not really. I realized that I was just going through the motions.
A few days ago, after speaking to groups of homeless and the lesser fortunate, I found myself getting depressed. My faith lessened as I watched these people because I wanted to do more for them. I even got mad at myself because I thought, “why wasn’t I doing this work when I had money?”
I then stopped and took a deep breath. I was about to head down the same path I was on years ago, thinking money could solve any problem. During that deep breath, I found a new clarity. I realized that I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do, but I was trying to force Him to work on my time, not His.
For now, I’ll continue to do this work at His pace, not knowing for sure what the results will be, but knowing He’s guiding me. During that breath, I dug deep and found peace again. Since then, my prayers are genuine, and I feel a new connection with God.
My entire message of hope revolves around two things. Find God, and then use the talent that He has given us to work our way through the problem we’re faced with. It sounds easy, but it’s not.
Simply keep forging ahead because there is a Heavenly reward at the finish line to those doing His work.
Take a deep breath, listen, and do the best you can. That’s all He wants.
Rick Stanfield is a syndicated columnist, motivational speaker and author. His latest book is “I Can and I Will.” For more information, visit his website at www.rickstanfield.com. Rick and Tina are available for book signings and speaking engagements at churches, community functions, and any gatherings where their story may be a good fit. For more information, contact rickstanfield1@yahoo.com.
