When you have no choice,
mobilize the spirit of courage.
Jewish
Proverb
Driving highways paved through hills and valleys with their
times of ascent and descent can be challenging to navigate. The series of moves
to accelerate and brake while rounding these hilly curves is hard if you’re
behind the wheel of a car—much less a large vehicle such as an 18-wheeler. Due
to the design and load of these big-rigs, a more significant increase in speed
happens as they head downhill. This could cause these vehicles to run out of
control. For this reason there’s a special sign for the big trucks, designating
a run-a-way landing area to the side of the road—a safety pull off. This ramp is a reliable resource. We’re all glad these extra lanes are there
and can count on them to serve their purpose—an out allowing time for the
driver to regain control of his truck.
There
are life situations in which we need an out as well—to get off the road for a
while. After one of my lowest life moments I knew the next
phase involved God’s stamped and reliable plan to bring some control back into my
journey. The road to entrepreneurship was now beeping on my radar as a likely
destination. My trust in His word and presence ran firm in my IPS (Internal
Positioning System), but until the plan was fully revealed, I needed income. I’d
been working a series of part-time jobs, telemarketing and substitute teaching,
but the pay wasn’t meeting my financial needs. I was staying with a friend, but
wanted to move into my own place again. My checkbook resembled a rollercoaster
of numbers running from a high of some money to a low of no money.
Then
it came to me.
Maybe I can temporarily return to active
duty in the Army while my consulting business was in its gestational period.
I
put the word out to my friends—does anyone know of this need.
One
of my active duty Army friends knew of a defense department director who’d
requested a reserve officer to come in and support technology issues in his office
for about four months (known as a TTAD—temporary tour of active duty). My
friend put us in touch and I was selected for the opportunity. This TTAD fit my
goals well and once I was done with that assignment, others became available
over the next few years. Those few months of army officer income kept my
finances under control until my business could sustain me. I was glad to have
this option to depend on during such a critical phase of my career journey. My service to the army was a reliable source in many ways.
We
all need something to fall back on—family, friends, things, opportunities or
skills. These are valuable life resources.
FAITH
This is such an important message in today's world. What
was once secure in work and institutions…not so much now. It does us well to keep all options open. As
the saying goes, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Watching
for our own skid marks, let’s sense when life is heading out of control in one
of our lanes.
It’s then time to pull over or off and take temporary
refuge on solid ground.
Identify
what we can count on when there’s a need to pull off the road.
Parts
excerpted from my motivational autobiography, Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories
of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FQDPYE
