Lost with a Purpose

Have you ever been driving and miss your turn without realizing it? You keep driving and driving.  All of sudden you realize your surroundings look unfamiliar. You dont recognize the houses or streets. You can't seem to find a turning point, so you keep driving. Hoping you will recognize something. A tree. A bus stop. A house. A mailbox. You begin to fret. Anxiety is close to a level 10.  You cannot cry because you won't be able to see the road ahead. You want to stop and ask the man on the corner how to get back to the interstate, but your mind is running rampage with thoughts of homicide and kidnappings. Are you driving into your doom? 

Just as the road begins to end and the clouds begin to set in, you spot  a stop sign. You stop. You look to yoir right. Dead end. You take a deep breathe and look to your left. Is that a church? Wait. Maybe.....

You turn to the left and hurriedly drive closer and closer to the church. As you get closer, you can see the name. If I just Google the name, I can Google directions to my destination. The name pops up. You take a deep breathe.  You have just enough battery and signal for Google maps to open and identify your location. Go .25 miles and then right onto the next street. This time you aren't relying on your own memory, you are listening closely to the voice in the machine and doing exactly what it says to do.

The interstate! I shouted. You shouted. We can see the interstate. If I can just get to it, I can get back home. I don't even remember where I was supposed to be going. I just want to get back home. That was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. To be lost in my own town.  If it wasn't for....

How many times have you been in my shoes? How many times have you been lost with a purpose. You knew you had a destination, but didn't know where to go. How do I get there? When will I get there? I just want to go home. Instead of relying in you to get you there, try relying on God. Rely on God to pull you through the dark times. Rely on God to get you through the good times. Ask God to direct your path and you won't habe to worry about being lost ever again.

Scared? Sometimes confused? Yeah. We are human. We fall short. We also know that when we make the decision to trust God, He will pick us up, carry us, walk with us, walk for us, and hold us. He is out compass. He is our gps. He's mine. Is He yours? #PurposefullyMade #DirectLiving #GodFocused

Night Life

Figured I'd get your attention.  Half of you all have minds that wandered into left field.  The other half, just didn't know what to think about the title of this blog.  I love keeping people on their toes. You think you know me, but you have no idea.  That's not the point of this blog, but it was worth mentioning.  Back to the matter at hand.

I recently frequented some establishments in downtown Baton Rouge during the homecoming festivities for my alma mater.  Yep, you guessed it.  I am a proud graduate of Southern University.  While I was downtown, I had a few moments of silence to think about my surroundings.  This was the night life.  People were loud, laughing, drinking, dancing, talking, walking, and having a good time.  As I walked down 3rd street, I began to notice a change in my perception of the area.  Just this one street was full of life and endless possibilities.  Then it hit me.  I am the only limit to my possibilities.  I am the only one stopping me from stepping out on faith and walking into a new beginning.

I wanted to turn around so many times and go home that night, but I didn't.  I had to face my fears and just keep walking.  I was not walking with friends.  I was alone in a strange area, but I kept walking until I reached my destination.  Relief.  I would not have known what would lye ahead, if I had listened to others and turned around.  I wasn't ready to quit on my goal.  I needed to see it through.  So many times in life we set goals, but we allow others to convince us to turn around and that it is not worth it to finish.  I'm here to tell you that it is worth it.  It is worth it to see your goal come to fruition and experience the joy of completing a task.  If I listened to everyone that told me "no", I would not be where I am today.  Instead I chose to listen to my God, my heart, and my mind.  I pushed past my fears and ran to the finish line.  Each day I get closer to a new finish line and completing a new goal.

If night life taught me anything, it is that what awaits on the other side of the door is far better than what is before you today.  Seize the moment and open the door.  Opportunity just knocked.