Lady Cee’s Creative Challenge – 8

 

Well today is the last day of my creative challenge. I hope those of you who have read these particular posts enjoyed reading them and I do hope that in some way they spoke to your hearts.

I know I found them a challenge to write. To look at the same image and come up with something fresh and meaningful to share each time, was daunting—but I surprised myself!

I would have loved to have read something from others, just to hear their take on this challenge and perhaps learn something new but alas it did not happen!

And now for my last offering.

 

 

I see a cloudy sky.

Clouds can speak of obscurity. Or bad judgement. Or bad days.

Perhaps the lady in our challenge picture experiences days when she doesn’t know what to do, or where to turn. Perhaps she’s had days when everything seems to be against her. I can relate! Can you?

In our own lives we will experience good days and the not so good days. How do we deal with the latter?  Dear reader, do you have a strategy for coping with those inevitable bad days?

About five years ago, I came to the realisation that whenever I sought to discover and pursue my destiny, or attempted to accomplish something or build myself up spiritually, the Enemy of my soul, arranged for me to receive a knock-back. I began to realise that the Enemy had spent years, decades even, sabotaging my self-esteem.

It seemed like every day I’d go home from work, or every weekend I’d return from church or some outing feeling hurt, or broken, or emotionally mauled.

I’d spend morose hours and days, even weeks at my exclusive pity-parties. I’d examine and mourn over my wounds and then eventually decide to pick myself up. But then something else would happen to knock me back down!

Now, I don’t quite recall how I came to my epiphany a few years ago but it was as if my eyes were suddenly opened. I could “see” that the historical cycle of rejection and marginalisation was a tactic. An artful satanic tactic to keep me feeling down, keep me looking at my circumstances instead of at Christ and keep me in a negative frame of  mind.

Of course I was familiar with God’s Word, which reminds us that we are not (or at least should not) be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). But I made the mistake of thinking I was only dealing with unpleasant people.

As I began looking at motivational videos and listening to messages from people who’d totally turned their lives around, I realised that whether you have chosen to walk with God or not, because we are all created in the image of God, because we all have his spiritual DNA within us and, because we are his creative masterpieces, we are the object of Satan’s hatred and wrath.

Christian or not, we, as human beings, made in the image of God, are targets in the midst of an ongoing spiritual battle and the spoils of war are our very lives, our souls, our potential, our destinies.

Satan’s strategy is to warp our minds and hearts with doubts and fear.

Dear reader, whether you believe it or not, there is nothing Satan wants more than for us to live lives that are small and self-serving, or purposeless and unfulfilling, beset with hatred or humiliation, disappointment or despair.

He knows what it is like to fulfil your God-given destiny. He know what it is like to experience the joy and satisfaction of using your God-given ability to bless others. He knows because for a time he enjoyed blissful days of doing just that. But he became filled with arrogance and pride and was subsequently booted out of God’s glorious paradise. And guess who he now chooses to vent his anger against?

Yes. You’ve got it – you and I!

And so the challenge to us is to live. Not to get through each day, as if we are emotional and spiritual paupers but to live abundantly. To ride the surf of opportunities. To bask in the sunlight of cherished hopes and dreams. To pick ourselves up when circumstances conspire to pummel us into the ground. To wrestle with adversity and emerge as victors.

Dear reader, as I listened to these motivational messages, and as I read my Bible and considered the experiences of certain characters whom we’d deem to be successful, as I mined the precious nuggets of experience from both sources, I realised that people such as Les Brown, Brendan Burchard and Lisa Nichols,  or saints such as Father Abraham, King David and the Apostle Paul, are no different to you or me.

They didn’t float through life in an idealistic bubble. They were not exempted from the vagaries of life. They were not excused from confronting their insecurities or dysfunctional personalities. They were not shielded from the attacks of adversaries.  Oh no!

Like me, like you, they encountered bad days, frustrating situations, disappointments and failures. But they learned to overcome. They learned to see their future potential. They learned to appropriate the wisdom of those who’d gone before them, or avail themselves of the wisdom and supernatural resources of God.

They learned to master themselves. They looked for the silver lining. They understood that “…this too will pass.”

I’ve mentioned the clouds that are apparent in this image. Now I want to focus your attention upon the sun.

I believe it is representative of a good season, or a favourable climate.

Dear reader, if you’ve been beset by trials, or feel negative about your future, let me encourage you today. Let me prophesy to your spiritual inner person. Allow me to speak over your life and declare the following in faith: you shall arise!

Like the woman in this challenge picture, you can choose to make a quantum leap forward into a new beginning, into a place of peace and prosperity of soul, into a God-seasoned ambience of sweet success.

And now as we are about to enter into the last quarter of this year, may I challenge you dear friend?

• Have you pursued any of your goals?
• Have you changed this year in terms of your outlook and behaviour?
• Are you making positive strides forward, in terms of your ambitions, your health and your relationship with God?

As I look at this image, and imagine the woman within it as a representative of me, or of you, I see potential being realised. I see dreams being pursued. I see the birth of fresh hope. I see faith for our future. I see God guiding us toward our pre-ordained destinies. I see the joy of fulfilment. I see purpose-driven believers. I see exultant dream-achievers. I see victorious over-comers. I see the approval and pleasure of our dear Father-God.

 

Challenge question:

• What do you see?

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Did you enjoy reading this post? Would you let me know your response in a comment box below?

 

CREDIT: the above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com