No matter who you are, there will be some dark days in your life. Our Heavenly Father set things up that way. The problem is, too many misunderstand the darkness. They assume it will never leave. Not true, nothing is permanent. Everything changes.
During the darkest night, you will see the stars, but in a few hours, daylight will show up again. Stars in this column represent hope: hope for the college education you want for yourself or your children; hope to sustain your marriage; hope for a new and better job after getting let go, through no fault of your own.
Stop crying, and look up to see the stars. They are always there, even when there are clouds; those stars continue to shine! When you’re flying, and the airplane reaches its highest altitude, if it’s nighttime, you will definitely see the stars, even if there is a tremendously bad storm going on below.
Each star represents hope for your future. Know that the Lord God created you for a purpose. He sent you to this earth to get a specific job done.
Stop shedding tears and look inward to hear God’s voice. Allow Him to order your steps. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs, authors, inventors and others have come along during a time when all hope was lost, and there was darkness all around them.
Get a new reality, and just know that this change will not happen overnight. It will take months, maybe even years, but simply believe and allow the Heavenly Father to order your steps as you make progress all along the way. Begin to create those dreams you have been holding on to.
Les Brown once said it this way: “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, determined to carry out their dream.”
Thirty years ago, when I was attending Weekend College at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., I can remember so vividly the pain I felt about my life: failed marriage, a husband who chose not to pay child support, changed his name at work, changed his birthday to my birthday, and got a new Social Security number, all to avoid paying child support for three lovely children we had together during the 17 years of a domestic abuse marriage of choking and physical abuse. I forgave him years ago because he had PTSD from being a U.S. Marine and earned a Purple Heart award for his fighting in Vietnam.
Though I was an honor student for many years during my early years of education, I felt I could make it without going to college. I had gotten A’s in English, was an excellent writer, and my college professor reminded me that I had great command of the English language and excellent writing skills. Let me assure you how wrong I was.
Having a college education has truly made a difference. And an education paid off in full by the Biden-Harris administration, I’m thrilled to tell you. Each one of us reading this column must keep learning, as long as we are able to do so; otherwise, we will get left behind.
Those were truly some extremely dark days, yet rather than having a pity party for myself during this time, I finished my education at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., and got two degrees. I got my Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 2000, and a few years later, by 2005, I graduated with my master’s degree, also in the field of communications. Both were very exciting graduation days with family and friends, and you can do it too.
This determination gave me the opportunity to experience taking the telescope of life to get a good look at God’s beautiful stars, out there for all of us to see and enjoy!
Keep pushing through life’s storms until you can see the stars. Each star can represent an obstacle you had to overcome. Count them all joy!
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, visit her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.