In my early teens, I didn’t have much. By my late teens, I was officially living significantly below all poverty metrics you can think of.
At a point, I was so poor the only way to find a meal was to either beg or steal. I did both.
Looking back, I’m not proud of those actions. And over the years, I made restitution where I could.
Don’t let your background determine your outcome
I wasn’t born poor. Life simply happened to my family early on but I need more than a post to elaborate on my story.
Leaving home at 12, losing your dad at 13, having no where to live at 17 and nearly dropping out of high school can have a devastating impact on anyone’s outlook.
The events that eventually led to some church leaders finding out I was sleeping in the church for weeks under the guise of ‘daily night vigils’ remain a permanent fix in my mind.
Was I embarrassed? Yes. But I was equally quick to raise my hands up to ask for help at that point.
In the months that followed, through the magnanimity of the church, I wrote my final high school exams, found what would eventually become my adopted family and could dream again in the process.
What’s my point? Don’t allow your present circumstances dictate or determine your outcome.
You can dream again
If you’re going through a wilderness experience today and seem to have lost your passion for life, hang in there. Don’t give up.
I know words and advice are easy to proffer but I speak from experience.
I’ve been down. I’ve been lost. I’ve been overwhelmed. I’ve been hungry. I’ve known poverty. I’ve been fearful of the future. And I’ve been despised.
Trust me when I say I can relate to some of your experiences, if that’s where you are today.
But will you allow the prevailing situation destroy and cancel your future and purpose?
I chose to dream again. I chose to believe God could make water come out of my desert. He did. Trust Him for yours.
You can dream again.
Surround yourself with vision encouragers
I was poor, destitute and hopeless. But I didn’t fail at one thing; I surrounded myself with vision encouragers.
One of my best friendships till date started in my teenage years, inspired by a common love for basketball and a desire for educational attainment, regardless of the odds against us.
To each other, we were vision encouragers. And that’s what you need. You need someone (or people) in your life routing for your success.
I don’t believe in self-made myths. Your vision needs people to become a reality. I believe we thrive best in community // Surround Yourself With Vision Encouragers
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Joshua needed Moses to stand in the gap for Israel while he was on the battlefront, and Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands while Joshua fought — Exodus 17:12.
Be intentional about who you surround yourself with.
Find your Joshua. Find your Moses. Find your Aaron. Find your Hur. You need your vision encouragers.
Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash.
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