March On!

Welcome to the month of March! This is the third month of this first quarter of the year and we ought to celebrate. Regardless of how good or otherwise the year has been so far, we must find a thousand reasons to give thanks to God. Someone was telling me today, that whether or not things work out, we should always look back and find reasons to be thankful. Because God is still on the throne, and His promise is that He will be with us always. We must always acknowledge all that He has done and remind ourselves of all He is able to do.

Man’s aspirations for more can never be quenched. We always want more. So our quest for bigger, better and greater cannot end. Because we are almost focused on more, we tend to easily forget to acknowledge where we are and how far we have come.

God our Father knows us well. That is why He reminded the Israelites that they should not forget Him, when they get to the promised land and are living in houses they did not build, houses stocked with good things they did not produce, drawing water from wells they did not dig and eating from vineyards they did not plant.

We choose to remember God. We choose to be thankful and express our gratitude to God for life, health, provision, protection, well-being, soundness of mind, emotional and psychological well-being. Some of these things we take for granted. Like waking up in the morning. It is definitely not the alarm clock waking us up but God in his mercy and lovingkindness allows us to breathe the breath of life. Some people who slept last night did not wake up this morning. Some woke up with illness and all kinds of frailties. But some of us have woken up in sound health. We should indeed be thankful.

The past month was quite interesting. I had some good times and some not so good. It’s usually in February that the first challenge to our goals and aspirations comes. The initial zeal and fire of January get burnt out in February and except we are able to push through it, everything extraordinary stops there. Life returns to normal and all the things we had resolved to do get forgotten in the humdrum of routine and daily life.

But if we are able to push through, with God’s help and by His grace, the fire can be reignited. Discouragement gives way to strength, confidence, and hope. We are able to lift up our tired and heavy feet and continue the race set before us. We then begin the fight to keep that momentum throughout the month until we get to March!

Now, March is the month of marching on! In March, we build momentum and get back some zeal and fire. This is not the time to relax, but to take a breather and build stamina for the second quarter. In March, we look back and acknowledge how far God has brought us and we encourage ourselves in Him, believing that He who has brought us this far is also able to take us through to the end.

If peradventure things have been otherwise, and you actually stopped running in January, don’t worry. I believe that the moment you wake is your morning. The day you are able to get up and dust yourself up and determine to resume the race, that day is your first morning. Continue your race and forge forward. Don’t worry about the lost time. Each person has a different road map, a different race to run. So there’s no point comparing ourselves to others. Each person has a different path, a different agenda, a different destination. That is what God planned for us. So while it may appear that we are running in a group, each person actually has a different map. It is best we stay in our lane, following the map that God has charted for our individual lives. That way, we are sure to arrive at His desired destination for us.

We did not come into this world at the same time. Even twins arrive one after the other. We are not likely to leave at the same time. Our purposes are not likely to be the same. Because God made each of us unique and different. Yes, we share some similarities along the way, but we meet to part and part to meet, each person running on their own lane.

I find that encouraging. I don’t have to measure myself by other people’s achievements. I just have to ensure I am being the best that God has called me to be. It is also comforting to know that I am unique. There’s nobody else quite like me. I am unique and different, fulfilling a role that nobody else can quite fill like me. I am needed. I am valued. I am relevant. Phew! Thank God for me!

So, be encouraged. Keep marching on. Raise up the hands that hang down, and lift up the knees that are wobbly. It’s time to run. Run your own race. Run steadfastly. Run according to your path. Be focused. Keep your eyes on the One who charted the path of your life. He knows the way and He has you covered!

March on!