Faith – Page 11 – Write 2 Be

“Too often we jump to the conclusion that something is impossible simply because we cannot see the solution. No one knows enough to be a pessimist.”
~Wayne W Dyer

I try to be optimistic in life because deep down I know that focusing on the negative is not going to help make any situation better. Recently I’ve been having such a hard time with a lot of different things that I won’t burden any of you with, but nevertheless, I haven’t exactly been feeling positive about things. I had a conversation last night with a friend that I haven’t talked to in a long time and every time that she would ask me about some aspect of my life it would happen to be one of the one’s in which things weren’t going so well and I just didn’t feel like faking optimism yesterday.

She got on me about staying positive and stating that she believed that everything was going to turn out good for me and that there are great things in store. My only response was that I wished that I could believe that right now. She didn’t like to hear the negativity because frankly she was used to me always being the positive one and pumping her up but I had to just simply tell her that most days I believe that it’s going to be okay but today (yesterday really) I just don’t feel like putting on the act.

They say you are supposed to fake it until you make it and most of the times I absolutely believe that statement to be true but what do you do on those days where you just don’t feel like smiling. There are days when you just can’t fake it, and you can’t hide your frustration or your doubt and really you shouldn’t have to. I am going to have those days when I can’t pretend that I believe everything is going to be okay. There are going to be days when I won’t be able to smile as if I don’t feel like the walls are crashing down on me.

On those days, where I feel completely defeated, and I feel like there isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel, I think about my daughter. I think about all of the things that I want for her life and what examples I want to set for her. I think about how much I love her and about how much of a blessing she is to me and that things have to come out okay because I have to make things okay for her. I think about the determination that I know I have within me that I want her to gain and learn from. I think about all of the times that I tell her it’s going to be okay when there’s something she gets discouraged about and how just as I tell her to never give up and always keep trying her best, the example I set for her can’t be anything less then that.

On those days that I don’t feel like smiling, I think about how good God has been to me and how he will never let me down as long as I have faith in him and let him do his work. I forget sometimes that not only do I have to put the work in, and put my faith in him, and hand over all of my burdens to him, but I have to remember to step aside and get out of his way and let God do his work. On those days that I really don’t feel like putting on a smile, I have to remember to stop getting in God’s way and just let him work. I remembered that today, and today I am smiling and there is nothing fake about it!

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://jayceedurant.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://freemynd.wordpress.com/

http://spokenlikeaqueen.blogspot.com/

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

www.authorsden.com/jimmettacarpenter

Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at his word and taking the next step.

~Joni Erickson Tada

There comes a point when you decide to make the decision that you want to be an artists full time, but you don’t entirely have the means and resources to make that work, in which you realize that there are going to be an insurmountable amount of stumbles and falls along the way. You might have even romanticized the whole starving artists’ concept and thought it might be cool to rise up from the ashes of despair and make it big proving all of the naysayers wrong. You have probably had more than your fair share of tiny miracles along the way that you didn’t expect but were lifesavers when they presented themselves. Well lately I’ve been feeling defeated and like I might actually be all out of my share of miracles.

In the creative world, we rely a lot on the favor of others and more importantly on the miracles that God provides us with. It’s not like other fields and industries where things are more certain and definitive. For us creative types it is more of a, go where the wind blows, kind of thing. I have went for quite some time now, not really knowing how things were going to work themselves out, just knowing that they would. I have had many moments where I didn’t know what was on the other side but I could see the bright, or sometimes dim, light at the end of a very long tunnel. So what do you do when you can’t see that light anymore and the length of the tunnel has become indefinite?

There are moments when I’ve looked at those bills that come in the mail, and the activities my child can’t do, or the clothes that she needs but I sometimes can’t buy, and I’ve wondered, is God going to leave me hanging this time? Of course I already know that the answer to that question is no but every now and then I feel like maybe I have asked for one too many miracles and one of these days God’s going to get tired of me burdening him. I feel like I should have all of this stuff figured out by now and I should be able to go a long period of time without begging him for his favor.

Logically I do know that through God all things are possible and I realize that God’s love and his favor is limitless and that the miracles that he provides us with are endless. . If people are going to make anything happen in this life the best thing that they could do is to have faith. Faith that things are going to be okay and that God is not going to put you through anything more than what you can handle. Faith in yourself and in the talents and gifts that God has given you and the purpose that he has given your life. Faith that you are not going to really ever run out of miracles so long as you keep reaching out your hands to receive them. From one starving artists’ to all the others, treasure all of your miracles and even when you are doubtful of yourself and your talent, step out on faith and let God do all the rest.