Don't Stop

      One of my favorite inspirational quotes is by Thomas Edison, "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."   I believe this is the way we are supposed to look at failure, not as a stopping block, but as a detour directing us to the proper path. And I think this applies to all areas of our lives; relationships, work, dreams, education, dating, and church.
     Your failures do not matter; only the attempts and heart put into whatever you're doing. We are all afraid of failing to some degree; but we will all eventually fail at something. So, why do we get so worked up? Why are we so scared of failing? When we try something new, even if your something new is being a better person, be prepared to fail, but don't let the failure stop you from moving forward.
      I am evidently an optimist, but I didn't used to be. For a long time I struggled to believe that life would ever get better. I settled my mind to the fact that despite going to church, working as a youth leader in the church, volunteering there, and working hard at my three jobs and school, that life was never going to get any better. I truly believed then that was all my life would ever be, I would serve Him, bust my butt trying to balance everything and die alone, sad, broke, and never really loved or understood by the people I knew. I expected to live a life of sadness, and pain. I used to say all the time, 'that if it wasn't for bad luck,  I'd have no luck at all.'
      Then, God put a man in my life who taught me to see things differently. This person built me back up where other's had torn me down. He encouraged me, and challenged me to change my way of thinking and praised me so much that I actually started to believe all the nice things he said. I believed at that time in my life that I had already failed, but God used this person to show me that my life had really just begun and that God had many good things stored up for us, I just needed to try life a new way, something until that point I was afraid of doing.
       I'm sure someone reading this may think, 'well that's all well and good for you, but I've tried everything and my life isn't getting any better, I keep trying and nothing happens, God doesn't hear me anymore.' All I can say is keep trying, perserver through this, and try taking on some of those things that scare you, because those are probably exactly the things that will help you to get out of this dark place.  It was for me, the more things that I take on that I was once afraid of, the more I feel free, even if I fail in the attempt because I realize now, that it either means I need a new strategy or I've learned a available lesson in my limitations.  Either way, failure isn't a stopping point, it is not a roadblock, the only real roadblock is fear and the limitations we place on ourselves because of it.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.