Sometimes I feel a little disappointed...

Have you ever had something disappoint you or been disappointed by something? Of course, we all have at some point in our lives. Disappointment is a feeling I prefer not to experience. I do not like to be disappointed, nor do I like to disappoint. I know throughout my life, some of my decisions have disappointed or have been a disappointment to family and friends because of decisions that affected them, my relationship with them, and me personally. I can honestly say that disappointing them was unintentional. Although some of the decisions I made have been "intentional" because those decisions had to do with what I deemed as proper or correct, based on the values instilled in me throughout my life and my belief in following a Christ-centered life, which I am almost positive is who I have disappointed the most in my life.

As crazy as it might sound, occasionally, it takes a painful disappointment to teach us a skill, strengthen our faith, or put us in the right place at the right time. Now I am not advocating we run out and test this by disappointing someone or ourselves. However, even in the critical moments in our life, God is in control of the situation. He is looking out for us. He is working out a plan that is bigger than we are, and we are going to be better for it in the end. What makes you say that you ask? It is written in Jeremiah 29:11 – "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not disaster to give you a future and a hope." 

"…a future and a hope". Isn't that wonderful to know? So, we ask, how do we overcome life's little disappointments? First, we must believe in God's plan as it is written in Jeremiah. This is God's assurance to the people of His plans to prosper them and give them a hopeful future. Even when we do not see immediate results, we can remain assured of God's ultimate blessing and benefit. The fruit may not come immediately, but it will come ultimately.

We must grieve a little when things have not gone as we wanted. When our hopes and expectations have been defeated, we need some quiet time to be sad, mourning the way we thought things would be. Once we fight through grief, we need to remember disappointment is not meant to define us or hold us hostage. Remember, there is a greater plan for our lives, and we cannot give it power. We must overcome.

You had to know this next one was coming; we should pray. Spend some time talking to your Heavenly Father. Tell Him your heartache. Tell Him about the plans you had and ask Him to show you why He's taken them away. I promise you that He has good in this for you, and it's okay to ask Him what that good is.

What's next? Listen and wait. Big things happen when we pray. Sometimes, they are blessings beyond our expectations. Sometimes they happen right away, but usually, they happen much later when we least expect them. You must keep waiting. You will know when the prayer has been answered.

We must look for the good when we have experienced disappointment. This is the time when it's most challenging - and most important - to find the good, grab onto it with both hands, and celebrate it. We need to. Every day is a new day, with a new beginning. We have a choice to wallow in self-pity or to move forward in our faith, hope, joy, and love. Psalm 118:24 provides the instruction for us to follow each day, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." It WILL make a difference and add value to our lives and the lives of others if we adopt this attitude.

I encourage each of us as leaders in our homes, communities, and organizations to understand we will have times in our lives when we are disappointed or disappoint others. We, as leaders, set an example for others, and we should not allow disappointment to take power over our lives. We should set the example of faith, hope, joy, and the unconditional love God provides us to overcome life's little pitfalls. Our example will become a teachable moment in the lives of others that will make a difference and add value. Jeremiah 29:11

Have a wonderful day,

James Dodwell

Do I Know You?

There is an old story about two men arriving at the Pearly gates about the same time. One of the men was excited beyond measure and the other sullen and looking a little afraid. The excited man said, “Hey, friend what is the matter, you should be happy.” The sullen man said, “I don’t know where I am and what to be happy about.” “Well,” said the excited man, “You are at the Pearly gates of heaven and we as Christians are about to be invited in.” The sullen man was thoughtful for a moment, then said, “I don’t know anything about this heaven, or what being a Christian means nor what to expect.”

The excited man said, “I have spent my life sharing the gospel and living an exemplary life helping others and doing what is right, my life’s walk and work spoke volumes about being a Christian”, “Say, you look familiar do I know you?” The sullen man replied, “Well, I should look familiar, I was your next-door neighbor for 20 years.”

There have been many times over the course of my life when I had the perfect opportunity to share my faith with someone and was as quiet as a church mouse. I am unsure why I did not say anything, other than the fact I felt unsure of what I could say and if it would be received as a positive message of hope and unconditional love or be taken as me being a pushy, self-righteous Bible thumper. Either way, I failed to share the Good News with a neighbor. The odd thing is I can remember almost every time I had the opportunity to share and did nothing. I believe these memories are God’s gift to me as “teachable moments” meant to challenge me going forward and to build a vision off their values.

As I pondered over this challenge, I was led to Mark 8:34-36, it begins “…He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me…””. He was communicating how to lead and set an example for others to follow.  Leadership is servanthood. There is no other definition that better defines a leader. We as leaders, must let our purpose prioritize our life. As in the story at the beginning the exited man had the heart and knowledge of what he should have been doing but he was not focused with a purpose of reaching others. We must live the life before we can lead others. We cannot share what we do not know for ourselves and we cannot give away what we do not possess. 

Our impact, as leaders, comes from relationships, not positions. Anyone can have a position but building a relationship takes special people with a heart for others. Leaders must replenish themselves. Our pastor said it best one afternoon while he was visiting my office. He said, “I just came from a meeting with my pastor to get my tank refilled.” Yes, even good pastor’s need a mentor to help them stay focused and recharged. Therefore, we should surround ourselves with people who can and will offer support as a Christian mentor and are willing to be honest with us. As leaders, we must call for commitment. We as, “Shepherds” must be committed to protecting our “flock”, sharing our faith, offering hope, expressing joy, and providing unconditional love for others to set the example.

As leaders, we must show security when handling tough issues because credibility comes by meeting needs and solving problems. We must choose and develop key people. People with a heart for serving others, a gift of being able to communicate clearly and concisely, and a willingness to do what is right in difficult situations. Also, as leaders, we must understand there is no success without a successor. Which brings me to my point, if we, as leaders, do not take the time to share the Good News with others and go the extra mile to develop those around us, what will our leadership look like in the future? Just saying…

I encourage each of us as leaders, to understand, “Leadership IS servanthood” at its finest. Good leaders are the difference makers in our society. We must take the opportunity to make a difference and add value to all those around us, daily. Whether it is through our talk or our walk it is our responsibility to share the Good News about faith, hope, joy, and unconditional love. Mark 8:34-36

Have a wonderful day,

James Dodwell

Out of Control...Into the Water

Do you ever feel your life is out of control, spinning so fast that you cannot focus on one thing long enough to plant your foot and stop? What??? Yes, me, also. It happens too often these days with all the things happening in our lives, especially now during these times; even in the time way long ago, we now identify as the "pre-covid era", we called "normal" controlling a circumstance depended on the altitude of our attitude. After all, our attitude is controlled by our attitude, which gives us the ability to rise above a situation and review our options with a little more understanding. Lower altitudes inhibit our ability to look ahead or to see through all the stuff that is blocking our vision, on the other hand, higher altitudes allow us to see farther, "Granting us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference." 

Recently, our son's family came for a visit, and we went to the lake to enjoy the afternoon around the water. The water was extremely rough on that day due to wind and the number of other boaters enjoying their day. While on the boat the grans were stumbling around wanting to stand at the sides and watch the wake cast by the pontoons, but the bounce and rough ride cause them balance issues so we had to kind of subdue them and keep them still, impossible for a four and three year young full of energy, fueled by goldfish, grapes, fruit snacks along with a Capri sun juice packet or twelve. So, we decided to retire back to our friend's house to just get in the water, which was fine with our grandson because our friend's grandson was visiting them. He couldn't wait to share the afternoon playing in the sand and water with him.

It was a nice afternoon, chatting it up with good, longtime friends, talking about anything and everything, and watching the children entertain themselves. Once we begin to gather our belongings to leave, I was standing on the dock listening to the final conversations of the day when I stepped back to grab the cooler and begin to feel myself getting out of control. I could not move my feet fast enough to maintain my balance, and I started to fall backward off the dock. I wished I could have seen me from a different perspective. I bet I was a sight, arms flailing, legs and feet fighting for some solid surface, but to no avail, my body was out of control, falling like a tree being felled right into the shallow water. I remember thinking in those few seconds how out of control I felt, nothing I could do by then to prevent the fall and splash into the water. Oh, I was grabbing at everything, air, birds, dock post, but nothing was there to catch my fall, so I just gave in and patiently awaited my landing, which wasn't bad after I relinquished trying to maintain total control of the situation. It took a minute for everyone to realize what had happened, no harm, no foul, then the laughter began, and it was all good; wet and a little embarrassing; but refreshingly good. 

As leaders, we have been gifted an attitude of altitude to share with our followers. We are representatives of control and guidance for them in our walk and in our talk. It's God's gift to leaders who follow Him as we represent the hands and feet of Christ Jesus. Our vision has been cast, and we have an obligation as leaders in our homes, communities, and organizations to assist in maintaining some control to situations seemingly chaotic and hectic. As leaders, I believe it must do more with controlling self than controlling a situation or others. We walk among the people, share our hope, our faith, our joy, and our unconditional love. Jesus did not come and die for us to live a defeated life. He died to give us life everlasting, undefeated by the problems of the world. If we as leaders, retreat, our followers retreat, if we stand bold as lions (Proverbs 28:1), guess what, they will also.

The Bible warns us if we do not control self, first, we will be slaves to what controls us, food, lust, money, our words, our circumstances, and on and on. Controlling self is the very foundation for living a life of righteousness and selflessness that reflects Jesus and brings glory to God. He has gifted us the power to keep our life in control if we would only lean into Him and ask it in His name.

I encourage each of us to understand it is time to get into the word of God and allow Scripture to change our hearts and minds. Leaders reach out to others and help them understand that maintaining control starts with taking small steps each day to bring our thoughts and actions back in line with God's plan for our lives. After all, how do you eat an elephant, that is right, one bite at a time. Just saying… So today go out there, yes out there in a world of indecision and chaos, to make a difference and add value by sharing your faith, hope, joy, and the unconditional love of Jesus Christ with others. Galatians 5:22-23

Have a wonderful day,

James Dodwell

Searching for Contentment...

Contentment is the word and feeling I am pondering today. It came to me in a dream a few nights ago, and I can not stop thinking about it. There are many ways to define contentment and how to be content with our lives. I have logged several quotes over the years in my journal. Some of them include the word happiness, faith, joy, hope, and love, but each reminds us we should believe that God is working in our lives, and we should believe in ourselves. Why? Because through Him, we are braver than we think, more talented than we know, and more capable than we imagine.

Contentment comes in many different forms for each of us. For me, I am most content when I am around and with my family. Recently, our son and his family visited for the day, and everyone gathered in different areas of our home, porch, kitchen, yard, etc. However, our grandson and I were sitting comfortably together on the couch, him leaned back under my arm watching cartoons, and the world was at peace. What made it even better? Our granddaughter climbed onto my lap and joined us. There was very little conversation; it was mostly their laughter filling the conversation gap as we watched the silliness on the screen. They were safe from harm; they were free to be themselves, comfortable in my arms, and they were happy and laughing and me; well, I was in a state of bliss. In other words, I was content at that moment with everything in my world.

Philippians 4:11-13 begins and ends with two sentences I have printed on a label, taped and attached to a spot I see every day to help me remember who oversees my life. The verses read, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him that strengthens me.” I have read these sentences more days than I can remember to which, I am always reminded, He has got this. He is in control. All I need to do is allow Him to remain in control, not try to do it by myself, and to live a life filled with faith, hope, joy, unconditional love, and contentment.

Maya Angelou wrote, “We need much less than we think we need.” So true, when we look to fill a void in our lives with possessions or money, we only end up wanting more. All those things we fill our lives with are not necessarily bad, but when they become the end goals and reason for our being, we become discontented because those things were never meant to fulfill us.

The only place we can really find fulfillment and true contentment is in Christ. In other words, true contentment is not something we find in things, people, or circumstances. It is only to be discovered in our commitment. Rob Kubin said it best, “We have to choose to rest on God’s good promises despite what may be going on in our lives.” And currently, we have a lot going on in our lives. We are worried about the pandemic and its effect on our lives, our families, our communities, and our organizations. As leaders, we must hold fast to our convictions and values to light the paths for others to follow. As leaders, we must remember to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.

I encourage us as leaders to use our light to make a difference and add value to others. Be significant in their lives. I found a poem written by Roy Bennett that I saved and will conclude with today. It is titled Don’t Just…

Don’t just learn, experience. Don’t just read, absorb. Don’t just change, transform. Don’t just relate, advocate. Don’t just criticize, encourage. Don’t just think, ponder. Don’t just take, give. Don’t just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don’t just hear, listen. Don’t just talk, act. Don’t just tell, show. Don’t just exist, LIVE! Philippians 4:13

Have a wonderful day,

James Dodwell

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD

During a crisis, any type you care to define, leadership is key to successful resolution. The resolution could be similar to the three answers to prayer – “yes,” “no,” or “wait.” We are currently in the wait mode, which implies we must be patient and carry on as best we can.

Leaders are the focal point for information to make decisions on the path to resolution. While waiting for answers;  “like flattening the curve,” a positive, realistic outlook is required. This is called “taking the High Road.”

The High Road is paved with characteristics like courage, commitment, and integrity - which is my favorite. In defining the word integrity to youngsters, a good response is “doing the right thing when nobody’s around.” By extension, “doing the right thing when everybody’s around” is a trait of leaders with integrity. 

We can debate any leader’s decision; but a good leader makes the best decision with the given information at that time.  Do you want the 80% solution now OR the 100% solution whenever?

HOPE for the future is what keeps people pressing on. The Lord did not suggest, imply, or even hint at His plan for us; He DECLARED it!

Read again the words from Jeremiah. Now let us - call on Him and come and pray to Him and wait. Take the High Road in all that we do and say. Be a leader and a beacon of HOPE!

For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’”  Jeremiah 29: 11-13

Anonymous Contributor seeking to keep God First.