There are times when all you need is a listening ear or a thoughtful word of encouragement.
There are times when that encouragement is you. Your life is encouraging to other people because you are alive, consistent, and you care.
My impact can only be as great as I allow it. God uses all of us. It is only the capacity to which we allow ourselves to be used that is the difference.~ ladychanene
A little boy that was in my summer Kindergarten S.T.E.M. class when he was 5 years old would often stop me in the hallway to let me know how much fun he had learning in my science class. Our first unit was on Bubbles! Can you believe I was teaching 4 and 5 year olds the physics behind bubbles?! It was a lot of fun and I remember that time often. He has endured so much since that time. Over a holiday break, two of his family members were shot outside their home. I didn’t find out about it until after the holiday break.
As we parted our ways for Spring Break, I saw him going to his locker to “find” his jacket and called him over. I asked where he was going for break and he said down south to visit family. Part of me said, “Shayla, give him a hug. You may not see him for awhile.” I remember that last time I heard that whisper one of my former students had moved away. I didn’t hug him and later found out that he had moved away. So, I hugged this little boy. He gave me such a squeeze and I squeezed right back. Maybe I will see him after break. Maybe he may move away because things got too hard. I’m happy I could share that moment with him.
There are so many moments we miss out on. There are so many moments that we take hold of and never let go. I feel that sometimes those moments that are lost come back. Whether it is the same thing with the same people or another opportunity to start again. More importantly, I think it is all about the change taking place on the inside within, if you allow it. I try not to live with regrets but I have regrets. Many of us do. There are always things that I wish I would’ve given more of me, something I wish I would have said or didn’t say, or something I wish I could’ve done or not done. My impact can only be as great as I allow it. God uses all of us. It is only the capacity to which we allow ourselves to be used that is the difference.
My prayer is for God to restore the moments that were lost or stolen in my life and divinely connect me with the plan He had in mind. When I use the word lost or stolen, I am referring to the scripture in the Bible, Joel 2:25~the Lord will repay what the locust has stolen. Also, I am referring that the enemy, Satan comes to steal, kill & destroy dreams, hopes, lives, etc. I believe that not only is God a redeemer of lives, but He redeems time. Not like time traveling, but that He gives us the time we need to accomplish or do these things or events that we weren’t able to do before. I heard or read somewhere that some things in life happen that God “fits” into the plan that He had all along. I am finding truth in this idea because God gives us freewill to make choices. Some choices may be the right ones for our lives. Some choices may not be the best choices for our lives. Yet, He displays the options and allows us to make a choice. His great love for us causes Him not to keep us in a place that He knows will not nourish us in healthy ways as a person. It’s like God brings you back to the start and you are in the right place at the right time and in the right frame of mind to receive what He planned all along in the first place.
For I know the plans I have for you to prosper you not to harm you to give you a hope and a future.
A couple of months ago, the Lord spoke to my heart saying, “Trust that what I have for you is good…” Although, I may not know where, when, or what I do know that what God has for me is good. My encouragement to myself, any and all who are reading this post: Believe that God only has the best in mind when it comes to you. He will never steer you wrong. His desire and your own personal desire may clash at times but when you ask Him to make your desire His desire, you’ll find that He is not only meeting your needs but taking care of your wants. His desire is your desire. And of course, “what God has for you is for you.”
One of my favorite scriptures & staple that I use when I stand on the word of God is Psalms 21:2 ~You have given him the desire of his heart. You have not kept from him anything that he has asked for.
God gives the desires of hearts. 🙂
Choosing to trust Christ and His plan is always the trusted choice.
Thank you for sharing this MOMENT with me! I look forward to sharing more moments with you as you meander through my little snapshot of the world.
Smile and Love,
Shayla ❤
Moments in a Life 