HAVE YOU EVER JUST WISHED AND WANTED TO BE SOMEWHERE FAR FAR AWAY? DO THE COMMERCIALS YOU SEE AND HEAR ABOUT JUST MAKE YOU WANNA HOP ON AN AIRPLANE? DOES THE IDEA OF A LAYING ON A BEACH AND SOAKING UP THE SUN ALL DAY SEEM LIKE PARADISE? WOULD YOUR IDEA OF A TROPICAL PARADISE BE EVEN BETTER IF YOUR VERY BEST FRIEND FLEW IN TO BE WITH YOU?
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, YOUR PROBLEMS HERE WOULD STILL BE YOUR PROBLEMS THERE. I KNOW THIS.
LAST YEAR, AROUND THIS TIME, I WAS IN A TROPICAL PARADISE. I LAID ON THE BEACH EVERY DAY. I SAW PLACES AND THINGS I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. MY BEST FRIEND EVEN CAME THERE TO MEET ME. WE HAD A BLAST. WE HAVE MEMORIES THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE WHOLE WORLD COULD POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND. WE STILL LAUGH TODAY ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE MET AND THINGS WE SAW. WE HAD EVEN FOUND JOBS AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT EVERY DAY, ONCE THE SUN WENT DOWN AND REALITY SETTLED IN, I WAS STILL ME. NO MATTER WHAT TIME MY HEAD HIT THE PILLOW, I WAS STILL MISERABLE UNTIL I WENT TO SLEEP.
I REALIZED THERE, IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, THAT NO MATTER WHERE I WENT, NO MATTER WHAT I DID, I COULD NOT RUN FOREVER. THE LONELINESS THAT I FELT HERE FOLLOWED ME THERE. THE UNHAPPINESS IN MY HEART FOLLOWED ME AS WELL. MY PERSONAL PROBLEMS WERE STILL MY PERSONAL PROBLEMS. THE LACK OF GOD IN MY LIFE WAS POINTED OUT IN SO MANY WAYS.
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR US TO HOP ON A PLANE AND HEAD BACK HOME. AGAIN, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT BEAUTIFUL ISLAND FADE INTO THE DISTANCE AS WE FLEW AWAY. I KNEW I HAD TO GET BACK TO REALITY AND DEAL WITH MICHELLE'S PROBLEMS. TWO THOUSAND MILES AND AN OCEAN AWAY WORKS WONDERS IN SHOWING A PERSON WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE.
I AM SO MUCH HAPPIER RIGHT HERE IN OAKDALE. IF I WANNA SEE WATER, I GO RIDE BY THE DAM. IF I WANT SOME SUN, I CAN HIT THE TANNING BED. I HAVE GREAT PICTURES AND SOME AWESOME MEMORIES. I AM NO LONGER LONESOME BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP. MY DAYS ARE STRUCTURED AND FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD. HE HAS SHOWN ME WHAT MATTERS MOST IN MY LIFE. I DON'T NEED A TROPICAL ISLAND. I DON'T NEED TO SEE MOUNTAINS AND YACHTS. MY GOD HAS GIVEN ME PEACE, JOY, LOVE, FORGIVENESS, DIRECTION, HAPPINESS, FAITH AND HOPE. HE HAS SHOWN ME THAT I DON'T NEED A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. I NO LONGER DESIRE A TROPICAL PARADISE.
THESE DAYS, I HAVE MY SIGHTS SET ON HEAVEN, THE MOST GLORIOUS PARADISE OF ALL!!!!!!
I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT MY GOD REMOVED ME FROM THAT BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. HE HAS REVEALED TO ME SO VERY MUCH MORE. I KNOW THAT IF I REMAIN FAITHFUL TO HIM, HE WILL ONE DAY SHOW ME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATION OF ALL. NO LONELINESS, NO SORROW, NO FEAR!!! I WILL WALK ON STREETS OF GOLD AND SEE CRYSTAL RIVERS. FOR ETERNITY!!! AND FOR THIS, I AM SO EXCITED. HE HAS PROMISED SUCH BEAUTY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. NOT JUST ME. I PROMISE, IF HE DID IT FOR ME, HE CAN AND HE WILL DO IT FOR YOU.
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, YOUR PROBLEMS HERE WOULD STILL BE YOUR PROBLEMS THERE. I KNOW THIS.
LAST YEAR, AROUND THIS TIME, I WAS IN A TROPICAL PARADISE. I LAID ON THE BEACH EVERY DAY. I SAW PLACES AND THINGS I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. MY BEST FRIEND EVEN CAME THERE TO MEET ME. WE HAD A BLAST. WE HAVE MEMORIES THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE WHOLE WORLD COULD POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND. WE STILL LAUGH TODAY ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE MET AND THINGS WE SAW. WE HAD EVEN FOUND JOBS AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT EVERY DAY, ONCE THE SUN WENT DOWN AND REALITY SETTLED IN, I WAS STILL ME. NO MATTER WHAT TIME MY HEAD HIT THE PILLOW, I WAS STILL MISERABLE UNTIL I WENT TO SLEEP.
I REALIZED THERE, IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, THAT NO MATTER WHERE I WENT, NO MATTER WHAT I DID, I COULD NOT RUN FOREVER. THE LONELINESS THAT I FELT HERE FOLLOWED ME THERE. THE UNHAPPINESS IN MY HEART FOLLOWED ME AS WELL. MY PERSONAL PROBLEMS WERE STILL MY PERSONAL PROBLEMS. THE LACK OF GOD IN MY LIFE WAS POINTED OUT IN SO MANY WAYS.
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR US TO HOP ON A PLANE AND HEAD BACK HOME. AGAIN, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT BEAUTIFUL ISLAND FADE INTO THE DISTANCE AS WE FLEW AWAY. I KNEW I HAD TO GET BACK TO REALITY AND DEAL WITH MICHELLE'S PROBLEMS. TWO THOUSAND MILES AND AN OCEAN AWAY WORKS WONDERS IN SHOWING A PERSON WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE.
I AM SO MUCH HAPPIER RIGHT HERE IN OAKDALE. IF I WANNA SEE WATER, I GO RIDE BY THE DAM. IF I WANT SOME SUN, I CAN HIT THE TANNING BED. I HAVE GREAT PICTURES AND SOME AWESOME MEMORIES. I AM NO LONGER LONESOME BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP. MY DAYS ARE STRUCTURED AND FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD. HE HAS SHOWN ME WHAT MATTERS MOST IN MY LIFE. I DON'T NEED A TROPICAL ISLAND. I DON'T NEED TO SEE MOUNTAINS AND YACHTS. MY GOD HAS GIVEN ME PEACE, JOY, LOVE, FORGIVENESS, DIRECTION, HAPPINESS, FAITH AND HOPE. HE HAS SHOWN ME THAT I DON'T NEED A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. I NO LONGER DESIRE A TROPICAL PARADISE.
THESE DAYS, I HAVE MY SIGHTS SET ON HEAVEN, THE MOST GLORIOUS PARADISE OF ALL!!!!!!
I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT MY GOD REMOVED ME FROM THAT BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. HE HAS REVEALED TO ME SO VERY MUCH MORE. I KNOW THAT IF I REMAIN FAITHFUL TO HIM, HE WILL ONE DAY SHOW ME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATION OF ALL. NO LONELINESS, NO SORROW, NO FEAR!!! I WILL WALK ON STREETS OF GOLD AND SEE CRYSTAL RIVERS. FOR ETERNITY!!! AND FOR THIS, I AM SO EXCITED. HE HAS PROMISED SUCH BEAUTY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. NOT JUST ME. I PROMISE, IF HE DID IT FOR ME, HE CAN AND HE WILL DO IT FOR YOU.
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