What is hope? Is it a feeling? A force? Or could it be something as simple as the picture of a bright future? From Parade magazine comes the story of self-made millionaire, Eugene Land, who greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem. Though located near the more affluent areas of New York City, East Harlem is notorious for its violent crime rates and poor education.
Mr. Lang was asked to speak to 59 sixth-graders. What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would surely drop out of school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and Puerto Rican children even to look at him.
Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart. “Stay in school, and I’ll help pay the college tuition for every one of you.” In that moment, their lives changed. For the first time they had HOPE. One student said, “I had something to look forward to. It was a golden feeling.” Nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate from high school!
For these young students, the promise of an education provided a picture of a new outcome for their lives! Instead of facing the harsh reality that they would spend their lives on the NYC streets, struggling like most of their friends, they now had opportunity to break their financial and educational barriers and to rise to a new future! http://bit.ly/1cufu9O
One summer morning as Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast, he gazed out the window and saw a small girl being swept along in a rain-flooded drainage ditch. Blankenship knew that farther downstream the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road, and then emptied into the main channel.
Ray dashed out the door and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the floundering child. He hurled himself into the deep, churning water, and when he surfaced, was able to grasp her arm. They tumbled over and over until within about three feet of the deep drain, Ray’s free hand felt something—possibly a rock—protruding from the bank. He clung desperately as the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away. “If I can just hang on until help comes,” he thought. He did better than that. By the time the fire-department rescuers arrived, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock.
On April 12, 1989, Ray was awarded the Lifesaving Silver Medal by the US Coast Guard. The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to himself than most people knew…Ray can’t swim!
Lao Tzu said, “From caring comes courage.” I challenge you today, BE COURAGEOUS—put on the hero’s courage! What is the hero’s courage? It is knowing that you have the power to help someone else—and you have the power, or the courage to care. It is the fuel that makes a hero!
What does offering help to someone else provide? Does it provide a sense of personal fulfillment? Or perhaps a reminder that your situation may not be all that bad?
I often tell people that when you help someone else, you sense the presence of God helping people, and this in turn is a reminder that God will help you. I recently received a letter from someone who took this to heart. She said:
“Thank you for your message about helping somebody else when you’re going through personal problems. My younger brother is dying of brain cancer. For much of his life he has been homeless and battling alcoholism. My other sister was too drunk to properly care for him or even to talk to the hospital about his needs. But, today I went on visitations for my sidewalk Sunday school and I was able to pray with a mom that has been fighting depression. Seeing the kids excited about Sunday school tomorrow brought me true joy. It’s so true when you’re going through something, reach out to somebody else and that’s where you find God’s strength.”
What giants are you facing in life today? Remember that as you get busy helping others, you will find the strength to defeat seemingly insurmountable problems. Maya Angelou said, “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
Remember, helpers need wisdom, strength and resource. God promises an abundant supply for those who are willing to go the extra mile. The scripture says, “Give and it shall be given back to you, good measure pressed down and shaken together! With the same measure you give it shall be given back to you!”
Let’s get busy helping someone today. When you add great value to someone else’s life, you will recognize just how valuable you really are!
Scripture: Luke 6:38
Four things happen when I solve problems for others:
First, I recognize that I have the ability to provide solutions.
Second, this instills a confidence which inspires me to resolve my own difficulties.
Third, I recognize that I can believe in myself because there is someone greater that also believes in me.
Lastly, my victories often open doors of victory for others.
Remember, when facing personal difficulties, you have a teammate. So, don’t be self-centered about the problems that others face. Gordon Hinckley said, “…the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves…if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.”
Thinking is central to creativity! Our mentor, Dr. TL Osborn, famous missionary statesmen, instilled in my husband and I the importance of deliberate thought! Most people drift through life allowing others to think for them. Some people wake up in the morning and resolve to think for the day, yet others awake and decide to think for the week. But the REAL WINNERS in life resolve to think for a whole month and even dare to target innovative and inventive ideas.
If we do not anticipate change or the potential limitation found in daily routine, the normalcy of life can limit our creative thought! You might be faced with unanticipated problems or crisis scenarios. Creative thinking allows us to anticipate future problems, resolve existing crises, and develop new solutions for life!
In my “10 Ideas for Creativity” workbook, which I encourage you to download today, we explore concepts to stimulate creative thought.
God is a partner in our labor working things together for us. What a pleasure it is to trust in HIM, knowing that He is working behind the scenes on our behalf!
Change surrounds each one of us because of difficulties in this natural world. However, in this time of transition we use our faith and our passion to latch on to God’s will, and connect to the wealth that is available for transfer into the hands of those in the kingdom of God.
We are not down and defeated without hope or alternatives, but we are UP…expectant and dreaming of new possibilities in changing times!
Scripture: Romans 8:28
The Creator of the universe so desired to be connected with you and me that He created a beautiful garden and placed people just like you and me in the very center.
David the King said, “I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place – what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us! You put us in charge of everything you made and gave us authority over all things.”
Did you know that God trusts you? And that you were created for a purpose and fashioned for dignity? Perhaps you feel like you cannot be trusted, or you cannot trust because you’ve been hurt too deeply. Today I want you to know that you can trust God – He will trust you!
Scripture: Psalm 8:3
Have you ever considered who designed the universe? Have you ever pondered that like God, you were made for good with an ability to create? You and I are created to be hooked up to the greatest factory of ideas that ever existed!
We were created in the image of the One who has a supernatural reservoir of inspired possibilities. Like God, the Creator of the universe, we have a voice, words, ideas and an ability to dream and communicate. We were fashioned for fellowship with the Creator of the universe and we were gifted to be creators ourselves! http://bit.ly/1GCCBcy
When God gives you a dream He gives you a partnership to go along with that dream! You can’t go it alone – any dream worth accomplishing requires people in order to accomplish it.
“But I never have good success working with people!” you might say. In reality, as long as there are people on this earth you will always have problems! The real opportunity before you is to learn to lead people, and learn to anticipate problems. You can’t go it alone! Isolation is the enemy of many a dream and the elephant in the room for many a dreamer.
You don’t need an audience cheering you on, but one friend, one associate can certainly provide ample encouragement when you face life’s struggles. You need a DREAM TEAM that will support you as you move forward! http://bit.ly/1aRE8jT
