Ever feel like you are at the end of the road and there is no where else to turn. There is no way out. Where do you go from here. You feel like your destiny will never come. You were heading down a road that you thought was going to get you there. Now it is a dead end. What do you do?

Your dream is not happening the way you plan? Let me ask you a question. What’s in your hands? Have you noticed the needs of those around you? Are you willing to learn new skills? Are you willing to travel down a different path to get back on track? (Well, I did start out with only one question on my mind.)

I hope you don’t mind while I share some of my story. Sometime during my late teens I got this big dream. The dream was massive and involved helping a lot of people. I was on fire, but nothing went the way I thought it would. I am closer now to that dream than I have ever been. I have been down a lot of different paths, but I am heading in the right direction.

There were many times I wondered where I was. I was sure I had failed and I would never reach my destiny. I wanted to quit, but Father doesn’t know the word quit. He never stops. He never gives up. He never stops loving. As I look back through the years, I am glad I haven’t reach my dream. I wouldn’t have been ready. There have been lives I needed to touch and I also needed their touch. I have needed the valleys to help me see who I really was and to truly appreciate the mountain tops. It was during the times of heartache and loneliness that I found out who He was. These were the times He became more real to me than flesh and blood. Did I like the trouble of these times? No! Were they good for me. Yes! Would I go through it all over again. Yes, gladly! I won’t trade what I have for anything.

So what’s this about. What do I mean by “what’s in your hands?” It is simply this. Don’t focus so much on your dream and making it happen. Keep it in front of you but don’t try to make it come to pass. Always walk towards it, even if you have to go by a longer way. Focus on those around you. How can you help someone else? Be teachable. There were many times I found myself out of work. There were people who needed help, so I offered. I learned a lot of skills in a few short years. I also found out that others were just like me. They had a story too. They needed to be heard. They needed someone who would simply listen to them. Some of them became good friends. Some of them were out of my league, or so I thought. What’s in your hands?

Give your life away. Help others. Smile at others. Let them know that someone cares. If there is a need you can fill, help. This is a wonderful time to learn something new. People love to share. I learned how to hang and float sheetrock. I learned how to paint. I learned how to restore antique vehicles. I even became an electrician. I can build cabinets. I know how to convert a bus into a motorhome or tour coach. I even went back to school and got a degree and learned how to build this web site. And the list goes on.

My mother is back in school right now at the age of 67. She didn’t get her G.E.D. until she was in her 50’s. It’s never to late to do something new. I know a lot of people now. These are a diverse crowd. I have heard many stories. Some have helped me to walk better. Some have saved me a lot of time and even my life. I have learned how to love. I have become more patient and understanding. There is a reason people do things. What we see is not always the reason behind it. Everyone needs to be loved.

Take the time to care today. Give and it will be given back to you in greater measure. You can’t out give God. You can refuse to receive from Him, though. Learn how to give and receive. The person you are receiving from needs to be blessed too. Don’t cheat them out of their reward.

Check out the sunrise. Look at the sunset. These are pictures painted for you to enjoy. Listen to the birds sing. Hear the leaves blowing in the wind. Listen to a waterfall or to the waves of the sea. Do you think there is a God? Don’t miss His touch. Don’t miss His voice.

What’s in your hands?

Have a great and wonderful day.

Joseph