Tomorrow – Page 2 – The Arrow Preacher

Dear Older Me

It’s been one year since you’ve started blogging, and I hope in another year you continue to grow in your faith and your understanding of biblical principles. In the last year you’ve experienced a great amount of loss and in a year I want you to remember looking back that you’re still standing. You’ve made it through hell and back, and while there is no doubt that this has been a challenging year, just know you’ve already made it through so much. No matter where you are in this life, just remember that you will never truly be alone. I cannot express my concerns for the next year enough, but on this day, I do feel afraid as to what the next step will be, but have faith in the life you’ve got. Tough times will undoubtedly come and in those moments remember back and draw strength from the trials you’ve already faced.

I want you to remember how far you’ve already come. I want you to keep a hold of your faith in the good times and the bad. I want you to remember where you’ve been and where you’re going, and know that in one year, you’re not home yet.

In a year you will undoubtedly have a new job, maybe a new girlfriend, but keep in mind as you have grown in a year, be sure to continue to grow in the Lord. Never fall silent on your growth with Christ. I hope in a year you are able to be encouraged by your failings, that in our failings is where we often grow the most. Be calm in the storm and keep your head high. I hope for you a position of strength in your life. Continue to grow in your financial strength and use what you are given to glorify the Lord. You will stumble and you will fall, but you will always pick yourself up. Look forward at your life, but be mindful of where you are, and what you are doing.

I want you to remember to guard yourself from pain, but allow yourself to feel. Don’t be afraid to let someone in and be a part of your life. Don’t be afraid to take the chances you need to take. You will learn a great deal over the next year from now till then, and I hope in the pain that will come you don’t grow cold. Do not harden your heart if things go badly. Be conscious to continue to save money and be responsible with it. God has led you through this maze of trials and you will have to take some time to evaluate what you’ve learned. Be grateful for the hardships, and the joys you’ve experienced.

I hope for you in a year you have made friends, and family connections. No matter what friends have come and gone, you will be able to make new ones. You will always have the ability to change small parts of your life. Do not be discouraged, and I hope you are happy in your current situation. Be happy in your new home, your new position at work. Be happy where you are in school, and continue to work towards your goals. Keep writing, and keep spreading the Gospels. Be sure to continue your work to get the word of God into as many hands, as many countries as possible. You’ve reached so many lives in one year, just keep driving on and reaching more as you’ve completed two full years.

I hope in one year to be doing well financially working on a new home. I hope for a new job or at least something stable. I hope for a new solid loving relationship. I hope Riley and Cooper are still in wonderful health. Keep staying strong, and keep driving forward. Remember forward always… always forward.

Jumping into the unknown

In a matter of weeks I will embark on an adventure all on my own. In the last year of my life I’ve suffered loss, and some joy along the way. While in every adventure there can be no growth without setbacks. While the journey is far from over it seems glimmers of light can now be seen at the end of a yearlong journey. The light I see at the end of the tunnel isn’t the headlamp of a fast approaching train. It’s finally come and while I know there will be future setbacks I’m prepared to face them head on.

In the last few weeks I’ve faced major opposition from the Veterans Administration and have had to point out gross negligence on their part. This battle has come at the cusp of my life finally being set on a particular track in a particular direction. This set back has minimized my ability to get my train up to full speed. Sadly while this causes undo stress, and might I point out needless stress, I will continue to try and face it with respect and dignity.

We may only get an opportunity once in a lifetime to leap. I’m not saying leap without looking, of course not, but sometime you need to take a leap of faith, and that leap may not always be with sight we understand. Sometimes we just don’t know what’s just around the bed, or just over the side of the next cliff. How can the eagles soar above the clouds if it doesn’t first take the leap? When we love we must first fall, a leap to let a part of ourselves go to allow for someone else to come in. When we love Jesus we must allow a part of our self to be burned away to make room for the light of the world. Loving another person is taking a chance. Rejection in life is always a possibility. Rejection from those whom we love is possibly the most hurtful thing we can ever endure. The fear of that rejection however, the fear of failure, cannot be the reason we don’t try. What if we allow ourselves to be ruled by our fear? What happens to our life, our happiness when we don’t allow ourselves to feel happy?

Genesis 2:18 “And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” We aren’t meant to be in this world alone. We aren’t meant to take the journey solo. We are made to be creatures that desire and need others. While some people are loners and some may desire their solitude that’s not the general idea for the human race. We often hide away after we are hurt, but we cannot live in the cave we’ve built forever. Even when we are broken hearted we must allow the Lord to rebuild us, to help us heal. Psalms 34:18 “The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” When the right person comes along falling in love will be effortless, it will be like slipping into a warm bath. It will be like being wrapped in joy itself. The euphoria that comes with the act of falling in love is spectacular.

Sometimes we are forced to move, forced to change and we must be ready to embrace that change. Sometimes we must take a leap of faith and the trust comes later. I was watching the “Man of Steel” and while Clark was debating on his decision, he talked with a priest. During that conversation Clark stated he wasn’t sure if he could trust mankind. The priest replied that sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and trust later. Sometimes we must take the deep breath and dive into the deep water. We may not find our gold right away but if we continue to seek, one day we shall find.

As I have no clue what my future has in store for me, I can only hope and pray my future is brighter then the past. While I have seen glimmers of hope, and perhaps even love in my future, I proceed cautiously. I’ve seen and felt hope before only to be destroyed by it. This time around I am more cautious then I was before. This time also, I’m in a much better position. My faith is strong and when I needed proof the answers were given to me. We only need to have faith, and we too can see the truth. While we may not always get what we want, we will be given what we need. We must learn to understand the wants and the needs, and to also understand the repercussions of decisions. Many of our hardships will be a result of our own choices and thus we must remember we always reap what we sew.

Tomorrow’s answers will come when tomorrow does. Worry not about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry for itself. If we spend all our time worrying about our possible failures, or our possible rejections, if we never take that chance, or the leap we will truly never fly. You can’t live life with training wheels on your bicycle so take them off, put on your big boy pants or your big girl panties, and be ready for the world as it comes. Just remember though, a leap of faith doesn’t mean jumping without a parachute. Try to have at least some slight idea so you don’t fall to your own doom. Take the idea, and have faith that God will help guide you to work out the details. Trust in the Lord with thine whole heart and lean not unto your own understanding, but have faith in the truth and the light, and your way, your path shall be lit for you.