Hi guys, I know its been a while, its been one of those earth shattering weeks and it's taken me a while to get up from the pain.
The thing about life is, it's hard and sometimes it really slaps the stuffing out of you. The foundation you think you've built up over the years or the thick skin you think you have can just give way at any moment and leave you on your knees or flat on your back thinking you are about to lose everything you've worked so hard for your entire life.
I have given 15 years of my life to Tourism Excellence in South Africa, 15 years of hard work & sacrifice with amazing highs and very low, lows. The industry built me and helped me come out of my shell as a young waitress and made me an amazing leader as a duty manager later in life as well as other leadership roles in my life. In all of my 15 years I faced so many challenges and the amount of grit I needed to have in the face of them. I remember asking my father one day why I had to go through so much adversity every time, in every job situation I have had and he simply said: "Because you were born to be a leader and leaders never have it easy, they are the most hated people in the world, not because of the title but because we do what is right."
That hit home quite heavily and it still does, just because we do what is right we will be under constant fire from a different array of people throughout our lives. They will try to break us and accuse us of the most unbelievable things just because who you are is a leader. Because you do the right things, people will hate you. Because you lead people instead of breaking them, people will hate you. People will hate you for the smallest things and turn it into the biggest lie ever spread. I faced this and much worse over the past few years and not once was I asked in the face of the accusations if they were true or if there were grounds for it, it was just taken at face value and used against me. The cruelty I have faced has floored me and in shame of it I stayed quiet because I couldn't understand that someone would hate me that much, because I have never hated anyone.
But, the world we live in, lately if I take a look around me, in South Africa with the hate crimes, in Syria with ISIS or the refugee crisis or the way the world just seems to be losing its mind with drugs, rape, war, incest & horrifying torture and recently the abortion law passed in New York I know I am not alone and hate seems to be the order of the day. So what we do in the face of so much hate & adversity?
Around September last year I started to become very interested in the war stories I grew up with of the old South African Defense Force, special forces unit called RECCE and what they did especially in Angola (interesting reading by the way); which of course sparked my interest in the special forces units World wide especially within the US Military structure (there are quiet a few) the most famous being of course the Navy Seals (Land, Air, Sea & demolition specialists).
It wasn't until I came across a story called: Lone Survivor, that things changed a bit for me. I have never watched the movie, but watched Marcus Luttrell give his account of what happened to a conference in Colorado on Youtube. Then I bought his book. There is nothing that man has not been through that he did not overcome, even death. His sure faith in God is amazing because he could've have said at any moment this is it, I've had it, screw it. But he didn't simply because it wasn't who he is.
His story lit a fire in me that was dormant and made me think of Paul and the adversity he faced while in prison and while in Rome; Christians were being hunted down and burned alive for their faith. Sometimes we face the worst situations and we think we are alone. But; the truth is sometimes these situations happen so that we can realise we are not alone, God says: "My strength is made manifest in your weakness." Maybe these situations happen for us to realise we can't do this on our own; and while yes we do need to get some things in place, we must realise the battle is not ours, that the battle is already won by the blood of Jesus Christ. Sometimes all we need to do is believe that God's plan is greater than the situation we are in right now. I know someone else is facing what I am facing right now. I just need to take a step back, see a different perspective and trust the one who created me.
Marcus always says one thing and that is: Never quit, never give up, ever.
It's easy to give up you know, to lie in bed and stay devastated. But; it takes a different kind of strength to say: okay, I'm facing this situation but I'm not going to give up. I'm going to trust God because He knows the plans he has for me. It's hard. Life is hard. It just plain sucks sometimes but, we are not alone. If God can carry Marcus through breaking his back and biting his tongue off and swallowing it & losing all his team mates; he can carry me through this situation here & now. I don't know my God as a God who gives up on people so why should I give up on him?
Verse of the day:
Philippians 4 12 - 14
"I know what it is to be brought low & I know what it is to have plenty. I have been very thoroughly initiated into the human lot with all its ups & downs - Fullness and hunger, plenty & want. I have strength for anything through Him who gave me power"
Quote by Marcus Luttrell - the Lone Survivor:
"You are never out of the Fight!"
Intersted in Marcus Luttrell's Story?
Follow Marcus Luttrell on:
Podcast (Available everywhere):
Team Never Quit Podcast
Image Copy Right belongs to:
Team Never Quit Podcast
For those facing adversity this week, stay strong, you are not alone.
Chat soon,
T
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