These are some thoughts I wrote down in September, but have not posted here until today:
I never thought I’d say it: RIX FM (a commercial hit radio station) has given me inspiration! I was listening to the radio the other week, and I heard one of the DJ’s say that she neither smoked nor drank because this gave her the greatest sense of control. Then she challenged her listeners: “I want to tell everyone out there: Take control of your life!”
Wow. How simple, yet profound. I liked it so much that I decided to include it in my teaching, and I actually got the chance last weekend when I used it as a theme for a study convention for some young adults in the Church. Time won’t allow for a detailed report, but one of the most decisive questions that stuck in my mind during our classes was the following:
Do I let surrounding forces govern my actions?
In other words, am I the captain of my life? Or is something else – or someone else – controlling me? When I sit down in the boat, do I take command of the oars, or am I left a victim of water currents that leave me drifting every which way?
Who commands the oars?
Life is not always peace and joy. In fact, sometimes we feel like we’ve been conquered by unseen enemies, who leave our body and soul broken down on the battle fields of life. In that moment we often shout: “It’s not fair! Why me?”
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but this I know: For whatever reason you feel down, there is always a way out. Why? Because you’re not a victim! You are the creator of your destiny, not an accident of chance. Sure, rain will sometimes pour all over you, but with a right balance of faith and hard work you can pull yourself through any situation – if you really want it! That’s why rain coats are made.
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