Freedom

Never give up; you never know until you try.

Monday we in the U.S. celebrated Independence Day. To some it involved a day away from work; to some it meant grilling out with friends and/or family; to some it meant fireworks displays; to some it meant all of the above.

It seems as if every devotional piece I've read this week has been about freedom and has quoted various Bible passages concerning freedom. "Freedom" is the "flavor of the week," meaning next week will bring a different flavor to capture our attention. It's still this week, though, so I hope you'll indulge me as I add my observations to the subject of freedom.

Saturday my friend "A" and I had a garage sale, bringing in a little money selling items we no longer want. We had a few customers and had fun hanging out together, even making a little extra cash. I was actually surprised by the amount of traffic we had. I was also surprised by 2 people's interaction with me.

Person 1 knew my face, remembering me from high school, though he didn't know my name. He was a couple years ahead of me, and we didn't run in the same circle, but he remembered from whence he knew me. (I looked in my yearbook when I got home and vaguely remembered seeing his picture before; I still don't remember him.)

Person 2, also older but a former neighbor from way back, used my name when he said goodbye as he left the sale. I didn't know he would remember my name, but he obviously did.

I was really glad both men seemed pleased, or at least not unhappy, to see me. That started my little brain to really working on the importance of treating people right and having a good reputation--people have long memories about some things. Being highly regarded brings a freedom of its own, while having a bad reputation brings bondage.

I'd like to think I've left nothing but good feelings and good memories of me in my wake, but I know there have been times when I was less than kind, less than considerate. We've all had bad days, circumstances we found ourselves in that brought out the worst in us, binding us.

That's why it's so important to surround ourselves with people who bring out the best in us and to be mindful of how we treat people; they remember us, even if we think they won't. As I noted in "The Payoff," you can never go wrong treating people with respect and kindness.

Lightening Up: Not Just For Summer

Never give up; you never know until you try.

Newsflash: it's summer. Well, duh. Many of us in the U.S. are engaging in the usual summer activities--cookouts, yard work, losing weight to fit into summer clothes, taking vacations, and having and attending yard (or garage) sales. In summer, we eat lighter and try to be lighter. That can mean everything from weighing less physically, to feeling "lighter" emotionally, to getting rid of excess "stuff" in our houses.

I've written before about some of my job searching issues and how I've had to cling to God to get me through some tough times. It's true now, it has been true before, and it will be true forever that we can cast our cares on God because He loves us. (As I noted in my June 6 post but that bears repeating). In short, we can "lighten up" in summer, fall, winter, and spring.

The Payoff

Never give up; you never know until you try.

I met a young woman a few months ago and took a few minutes to learn about her life. She looked "down," so I shared a few words of encouragement. My time investment was just a few minutes, and each time I've seen her since, I've dedicated a few minutes to asking how she is and encouraging her. She always seems to have only a few minutes to talk, but we pass those minutes pleasantly. Despite her circumstances, she's "open" and interested in others, always asking how I am.

We crossed paths again today, and she broke into a big grin when she saw me. We passed a little time together, catching up on our respective job searches, and she was off again on another errand. She caught me off guard by hugging me, but it was a pleasant surprise. I was glad she felt comfortable doing so; she's learned that I really care what happens to her. I hit the jackpot.

I'm sure you're ahead of me and have surmised the moral of today's story: kindness extended to others pays off. Even if someone never lets you know by hugging you or verbally expressing it, she appreciates being treated kindly, respectfully. I certainly do. Kindness pays off, making others' day brighter, and it even makes yours brighter, too.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G

Never give up; you never know until you try.

Recently, I've encountered several situations outside my comfort zone. I've intentionally put myself into those situations; and guess what? I've survived! Like using our physical muscles, we may be a bit sore afterward, but for me the recent episodes have resulted in a pleasant soreness.

Like the soreness after a workout, with increased effort, discomfort of being outside the familiar soon dissipates and disappears entirely as the unfamiliar becomes familiar. The zone of discomfort becomes the zone of comfort. Then it's time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h- again (if we want to continue progressing, growing stronger.)

So stretch on, readers! Today you may manage to lift only 10 pounds, but with persistence, you'll soon be amazing even yourself with your strength. And always remember--God is on your side and will help you.

What Do You Do?

Never give up; you never know until you try.

What do you do when you’ve done all you know to do, yet a situation remains the same? It absolutely refuses to budge. Like a car mired in mud, you can’t go backward, and you can’t go forward. You spin your wheels, burning rubber, gas, and your patience.

As anyone who has read my blog knows, that’s been me in my job search post-graduation. I’ve had a couple part-time temporary jobs, but I’m still searching for the full-time permanent one, even if it isn’t my dream job. I just need to pay my bills.

As I’ve noted before, this has been an excruciating process for me, and I’ve handled it with varying degrees of poise. God has met my needs and kept me going, though not in ways I’d hoped. Again, as I’ve noted before, I’ve often told Him just how I feel, and He hasn’t zapped me yet for having the nerve to tell Him how I want Him to do His job. God is great like that. (Insert huge sigh of relief here.)

So I come to the answer portion of this post. What do you do when you’ve done all you know to do, yet a situation remains the same? Maybe what I’ve done:

1 If one area refuses to change, work on changing something else you are unhappy with.
2 Embrace the changes being wrought in you—at least the good ones.
3 Cast it on God, because He cares for you.

Friendship

Never give up; you never know until you try.

I've thought a lot about friendship this week. I do that every now and then, taking time to thank God for people who have meant so much to me at various times in my life. I also ask Him to help me be a real friend, which doesn’t always come easily.

Sorry to burst your bubble if you had any illusions to the contrary, but sometimes friendship isn't easy. It asks us to trust, to believe, to give. It asks us to take. For some of us, at some times, those aren’t easy things to do. Yet in the end, the momentary discomfort is more than worth it. It’s sad but true that friendships come and go as people change, but hopefully we wish everyone well whom we ever call “friend.”

I’ve probably had friendship on my mind so much because I’ve met new people recently and learned more about existing acquaintances, making me more aware of how wonderful it is to have friends and how fulfilling it is to be one.

So, dear readers, I take this opportunity to thank you for your time and indulgence. To my friends, past and present, I thank you more than you know for your love and patience, and for what you taught me, because I’ve learned something from every one of you. To my future friends, I say another “thank you,” because God and friends make life worthwhile. I also challenge everyone to thank your friends for being there for you and to emphasize to them your willingness to be there for them.

Encouragement and Hope

Never give up; you never know until you try.

I recently attended a job fair and experienced something remarkable. Despite the economic crunch and the fact that there were hundreds in attendance, vying for fewer jobs than there were people, the atmosphere was one of hope. People were polite to each other. They'd better be, you say, since potential employers were watching, but I have seen people behaving less than their best in similar situations. Desperation can do that to people, yet at this job fair, people encouraged each other. There was no air of desperation that I noticed. I came away feeling encouraged and hopeful, which is the opposite of how job fairs can make a person feel. As I said, it was remarkable.

So chin up, fellow job seekers! Many may still be out of work and following up on any lead they get, dreading the next job fair, but my experience proves that a job fair can actually be an uplifting experience. Who knew?