Welcome to our January issue. As the year comes to an end and a new one begins how are you feeling? Did the year go well, or was the year a struggle? I truly hope it went well given the year. I know that it was a tough one.
Some of us lost our jobs, while others kept their job and others were super busy. It was a very mixed bag. If this coming year proves to be more of the same, we should think about what lessons we can take from this past year to make us stronger individuals. Adversity is not bad. What makes it good or bad is how we deal with it. When I got fired from my job at a wholesale nursery back in 1988, I had a young family and a house payment. I walked out of the office not knowing what I was going to do. However, being a student of the Bible, I knew verses, and I had memorized many of them. One story stood out and really spoke to me. It’s in 1 Samuel 25, and to sum it up, it speaks of God’s protection over David. Despite the adversity, God would see to it that David would succeed and prosper. There are many stories in the scriptures like this, and they all are meaningful. Though no one likes to be fired, I saw how God opened doors for me despite it, and I no longer fear it. I know that God is able to provide, and He can do the same for you. When we come to Him for help, He is faithful. Some 33 years later, and with a lot of hard work, Executive Care has gained the respect and appreciation of the communities we serve, and I as the owner am so grateful for that.
This year as mentioned has been a tough year for many, and that is true for me as well. My mom fell July 6th and broke her hip. Until her passing Sept.22, I would fly down weekly to Orange County to tend to her care. As she stabilized, it became every other week with daily phone calls. At 90 years of age, it took a bit for her to become stable. I jokingly told mom that I knew the flight attendants on a first name basis. Through that time, there was such a demand on my time and my energy. I helped manage
mom’s care both in person and over the phone, as well as run Executive Care. Our clients are so great and understood what I was going through. Many had or were currently experiencing the same. My men also are so well trained that as long as I had jobs ready for them and explained the goal, they knew what to do. A verse that was never far from my mind during this time, which gave me strength, is one of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:12 it says, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Jesus repeats this in the New Testament but adds to it by saying “so that it may go well with you, and it is the first commandment with a promise.” I knew God would honor my effort, and that my actions pleased Him. It was an honor for me to care for my mom, and to see to her care. I was honored to take her for a “spin” in her wheelchair and pay a ton of money to have her in a room next to a patio garden. I would take her on a tour of the garden and show off by naming all the botanical names of the plants. This impressed her to no end, and allowed her to sit in the sun, which felt so good to her. We take the little things like sitting in the sun for granted. It was a tough time for sure, but also strengthening because I knew I was doing the right thing. The celebration ceremony of her life was the toughest part. I gave the message, and between laughter at some of her sayings and holding back the tears, the message was delivered and appreciated.
There is a saying that says adversity introduces a man or a woman to themselves. It shows you what you are made of. I have had much opportunity to meet myself, probably more than I wanted to. Sometimes I am very pleased with who I have met, which is a credit to the Lord’s work in my life, and other times not, (there is still unfinished business). Since life is a journey and the journey prepares us for our destination, it’s the travel that counts. Through humility, (which is so counter cultural) and
loving the truth, I am being made ready for the destination. Here are some very beautiful sayings to mediate upon this season… some are religious and some not.
“Always remember that your present situation is not your final one, as diamonds are made beautiful through precise cutting, and rocks smoothed and beautified through the constant flow of water, so too is the human soul. Adversity if received correctly beautifies the soul.”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5&6 is my life verse, but I will share it with you 😉
“Forgive people in your life, even those who are not sorry for their action. Holding on to anger and bitterness only hurts you, not them. Bitterness is like carrying a corpse on your back, eventually the decay kills you as well. Get free while you still can! ”
“I’m thankful for my struggles because without them I would not have stumbled across my strengths.”
This one is a little too me focused for my comfort, but I share it for those who are of this mindset. If I was to rewrite this, I would write it like this:
“I’m thankful for my struggles because it shows me my need of God; a Loving Father who is ever so eager to intervene in my life. He uses struggles to bring me to Him. He is a relationship seeking God and I find Him more in my struggles than in the good times. And because of Him, I find an inner strength that I would not have found as I do Life with Him.”
I end with these sayings, which I sincerely hope brought some comfort and courage as we enter a New Year. I am grateful that we can be of different mindsets but still appreciate and learn from each other as we go through life; not giving a hand out, but a hand up as we all can use some help from time to time.
God Bless you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (There is a more faith-based article on my website, I would encourage you to read it – Thank you).
Finally, I have published a book called Life (really origin title huh?) it can be ordered from Amazon and has a Lighthouse Tower on a blue cover. (Lighthouse’s have special meaning to me) I also write a monthly devotional called Vida4U (Vida is life in Spanish). It is faith based, and I jokingly tell my clients that if anything can be rattled inside, Vida will rattle it, however it is delivered in love. If you are interested, just send me an email requesting to be added to our monthly email (arthur@executivecareinc.com).