The title of this post says it all. I want to tell you something you might not have realized about yourself first. You utilize faith every day of your life. You might not acknowledge this reality but it takes faith to accomplish life the way you desire it to be. Regardless of what or whom you have faith in, you have to use it to get where you are going in life. When you cry out for that promotion at night, you are exercising faith. When your heart breaks and you seem to make it through another day, your gratitude for this reality comes through faith. In fact, faith in something filters through every vein in your life. With that said, let me continue.
I happen to focus my faith on God, a supreme love, a Creator of all things, a powerful lifeline for everything in life as I see it. In fact, I had faith in God since I was a little girl and have been an ordained minister for over 30 years. My first ordinations were Christianity-based. Later, I added metaphysics to my ordination. I’m obviously a female. As a female, I have been the pastor of two churches and have provided public speaking as I had been called in the past. A female minister has not always been the most popular thing to be in days gone by and sometimes it still is not. Along with the calling comes persecution, misunderstanding, rejection, envy, jealousy, taunting, tears, pain, and I could go on. The calling has also come with joy, faith, love, promise, guidance, growth, happiness, acceptance, encouragement, and strength. I think one of the greatest discoveries in my life is my natural connection to God and Spiritual truths.
Not everyone “likes” any of this. I’m taking a great big sigh as I begin to state this next reality. In the company of the most difficult people, my ministerial status has been a joke; until they need me for something. It’s completely alright. I wish them well. I’m God’s puppy and God will deal with whatever needs to be dealt with. I also happen to be a spiritual life coach and counselor. Not everyone likes this either! What can I say? They don’t breathe for me. Most likely to their dismay, they have made me stronger even in my tears. I am not fond of persecution. Who is? It’s a part of the whole deal though. You see, I am in good company. Even the great apostles of old were violently persecuted because of their faith in Jesus. I am grateful life has not been that extreme but I sure do know where they got their strength!
Do you want to know the crazy thing? The people who have mocked me the most are those I have prayed for both before I got to know them and then after. One day, maybe not now, they will thank me for this reality. As positive as we can be in life, no one escapes hardships. There will be a time when some will come to me because their lives have become crazier than mine has been. God’s promise is to level the hills and valleys when we pray for our lives to become more balanced and stable.
Thank you for bearing with me here. It’s not an easy subject. Much of the time when my heart broke it broke for someone else besides myself. In fact, many of my tears are for other people. That’s where the empath in me comes in. It’s HARD being empathetic in a world where many could care less. The craziest of all is when others begin to realize I’m not crazy or stupid and I know more than they think I do. Oh, they might deny it, but I still know!
Yet, if allowed to do it all over again…I would! Why? I am so glad you asked! It’s because being who I am is my purpose and doing what I do is my purpose! I have the greatest spiritual support system in the Universe and I am proud to have it! The rewards are huge and my heart can not even contain the gratitude for all I have come through and all I have gained. This is the reality of the whole thing; God stands by my side and breathes inside of me every moment of every second of every day. My connections bless me. My spiritual support system blesses me. My God and Creator bless me big time.
Life is full of ups and downs, isn’t it? The truth of the matter is we have to all experience both to learn in this life. So enjoy the mountaintop moments in life while you have them because the valleys will come. When they do, remember you use faith every single day of your life. Use your faith for great things when both the mountaintop experiences and the valleys come. Your life will be richer than any amount of money this world could bring to you.
Loving you from here,
Dr. Rev. Jenine Marie Howry
Life Lessons by Jenine Marie 