My life is not always easy.
There are promises I have been waiting over 20 years to see fulfilled.
Even today, I’m dealing with rejection.
I’ve had my share of disappointments and epic fails.
I have doubted, cried, and wanted to give up.
I have had to fight fear, anxiousness, and hopelessness.

I’m not sharing this because I want your pity or your prayers.

I just want you to know my joy is NOT because I have had a charmed life. My Joy is because I’ve been through the valley yet in the valley, I was sustained by God.

I want you to know that my tenacity was formed in the the tough times.

I want you to understand my song was not written in the good times. My song was written in the battles.

The strength you may see in me, was shaped and developed in the gym of life where I was knocked down but the Holy Spirit helped me up, over and over again.

My life is not easy but it is good. I am blessed beyond measured. God’s grace and mercy are evident in every area of my life. I stand in awe of how far I’ve come and how God blesses me and my family.

Nonetheless, I must choose joy everyday. You see if I compared my bank account to others, I would feel poor.

If I compared my Ministry to others, I would feel inadequate.

If I compared my kids’ success to others, I would feel like a failure.

If I compare, I could negate how far God has brought me. I could negate what I’ve learned in the difficult times. I could see myself as a victim not a victor.

I’m willing to bet, your life has been like mine, filled with highs and lows, good times and bad. I’m willing to wager, if you indulged in comparison, you too would begin to fell poor, inadequate and like a failure.

Here is my advice to you: Don’t compare. Don’t look at where you are, look at how far you have come. Don’t look at your valley experiences look at the God who walked with you in the valley. Don’t look at the past failures, look at the lessons learned.

There is so much more I desire. Prayers I’m still waiting to see come to pass. But I choose to praise Him right here, right now. A new song is being written while I wait.