Successful People Do This…

They “assess.” Everything.

After a certain event; period of time; or if unexpected results occur… they take the time to assess… the scenario, the outcomes, and most importantly… themselves.

I’m finding out, that I have a good gift, the gift of being able to assess a wrinkle; blockage; or bottleneck found in a system, or sequence of tasks, AND can figure out what the ACTUAL need is, and with the right tweak… I can garner a more efficient sequence for the system, or those specific tasks, that will save time and material; increase ergonomics; and generally make it better.

I never gave that gift it’s rightful due.

That’s sinful.

I’ve always been able to do it, even when I was young.

When I was young I may not have been the most confident in executing corrections when I would see the problems; bottlenecks; or inefficient systems… but as an adult, when given the responsibilities of actually looking at those systems… I became very confident in that gift because it would bear itself out; over and over; time after time; with good results.

And still, I wouldn’t give that gift it’s rightful due; appreciation; or feel any gratitude for it.

I thought it was a “small thing.”

And we despise small things. Especially those things of our self that we consider to be small.

For who has despised the day of small things?

biblehub.com Zecharia 4:10

I even crapped on that gift at times… calling it, “…nothing, it wasn’t hard, anybody could do what I did.”

That’s sinful.

If you read it real close, the Bible, God’s words… he often talks lovingly about the small things. We don’t.

But as we journey on in life, if we take the time for assessments, and if we are honest with ourselves, maybe we will be able to appreciate our smallness the way he does; maybe view success the way he does; and maybe, just maybe, learn how to show a little gratitude.

I have come to the conclusion that whatever gift God has given you, the single most effective way to say, “Thank You” (this will sound strange) isn’t just to SAY, “Thank You.” The single most effective way to say, “Thank you,” is by just using your gift, “By doing it,” and if you are doing it out of loving obedience, well, that’s all the icing on the cake you’ll ever need.

Then you can say, “Thank you,” verbally.

Very recently I was given some terrible news.

Then an hour later I was given horrible news, in conjunction with the terrible news.

And I ended up, smack dab, in the middle of realizing, that there was absolutely nothing I could do.

Utterly helpless in the face of this news.

There was nothing to be done.

I was reduced to my smallest.

The only “thing” that I could do, was… look to God.

I was constrained; wrapped up tight; SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY, and MENTALLY.

I was experiencing pain on all three fronts.

It took almost two weeks before I felt like I was able to “stand at my post” again.

And the thing to help me over the hump… a little gift from God, something He told me once, He said, “That’s what I love about you.”

So, I sat down, grabbed my little ol’ pen, my notebook, and a cup of coffee… ok, it was a couple days worth of coffee… and started to make an assessment of what I’ve just gone through over the last two months.

I can’t share all the {little} details, too personal, but I can use a bigger brush and give you the broad strokes so you can see the picture… and that will leave room for your own little life details.

I’ll bullet point it for you, but please… take it slow, look into your own heart, and I think you will be able to find some… encouragement, some points that will equip you, and the story, hopefully, engaging.

The assessment…

• the new year starts.
• because of dealing with depression myself I get ready to publish an article to help others.
• I execute my yearly physical fitness test and come away with a great spiritual lesson learned concerning VICTORY, AUTHORITY, and PERSONAL STRENGTH in claiming that authority and victory.
• I publish my article designed to help others; thinking of others; trying to implement the principle of “It’s not about you, Dave.”
• Going into a long work weekend I physically start to feel “constrained,” the pain of it manifests itself in my biceps and forearms.
• (This step was only added as I made the assessment after looking back. Having VICTORY revealed to me, and claiming it, must have put the devil on the run, because now it seems he tossed a couple grenades out as he retreated.)
• Then I get the TERRIBLE news; and an hour later the HORRIBLE news.
• Physical pain; mental anguish and pain; spiritual pain that manifests itself as a feeling of absolute helplessness.
• Wallow; Wallow; Wallow… talk to God; talk to God; talk to God… read the Bible; read the Bible; read the Bible.
• Have a couple of Christ Brothers call and text and pray for me; one basically takes my turn on sentry duty as I spend time with the Father
• Very little exercise over this course of time; very little bow shooting; very little house projects accomplished… as this all coincided with a week of vacation I had scheduled. (which turned out to be one of those blessings in disguise.)
• Then I remembered Him saying, “That’s what I love about you.”
• And the only thing I had that I could “DO” was to use my little gift He has given me in trying to make some kind sense out of all of this chaos.
• And MOSTLY making an assessment of myself and my relationship with Jesus Christ; The Holy Spirit; and the Father Himself.

I’ll break down some of what I learned, it was a lot, in future articles, but I will share a few things today that have been shown to me.

• I’m not the Savior… only Jesus can truly save a person.
• We only see a very, very, tiny portion of a persons life, and they usually mask what we think we see on a daily basis, so even what we see isn’t truly what that person is, or… is going through.
• I can do nothing without Him.
• But I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, to do those very things He has already set up for me to do.

Sometimes our faith shrivels up to the size of a mustard seed, the littlest of seeds… and yet… it can still move a mountain.

Even an Everest sized mountain of grief.

Thank you, Lord.