A few years ago, members, helpers, pastors and bishops of the Universal Church made a purpose in favor of one of our churches in London that was at risk of being closed unless we raised enough funds to purchase it.
The purpose was to climb the Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom located in Scotland.
To make matters worse, it was winter time.
I’m never going to forget that day.
I remember that the day before the climb the guides gave us guidelines…
-Don’t put too much clothes on.
-Only one bottle of water.
- If taking a bag pack, don’t over pack it.
When I heard this information from my husband, even though I didn’t say anything I thought to myself…
“What?! How can that be?! We’re in the middle of Winter and we should wear less clothes? Only one bottle of water?
And with that I prepared myself for the climb…
Dressed with:
A pair of underpants, another thick (and heavy) pair of nylon plants, three long sleeve shirts, a coat and a nylon jacked (all of those clothes proved to be quite an excess.)
In my bag pack:
-Two water bottles (“I’m going to spend an entire day climbing and coming down that mountain, how can I only take one bottle?!” I pondered…)
- About 6 large chocolate energy bars (“In case I get very hungry” I thought to myself.)
-First aid kit with all sorts of remedies (“What if someone needs it” I thought.)
-A pack of gel that heated up when shaken (“I might need it.”)
- And lots of other unnecessary items that I can’t remember now…
But one thing I won’t forget… what a heavy back pack!!!
I made sure not to let my husband pick up the backpack because he would’ve told me to leave everything behind!
We weren’t even 5 minutes into the climb when I realized my mistake, and what a mistake!!!
The backpack was very heavy and if it weren’t for my husband and Sam, a Godsend helper, I wouldn’t have been able to make it to the top, for the two of them had to carry the bag for me.
My stubbornness and lack of consideration to the guidelines given made those two “angels” suffer the consequences.
This example made me think about our next task….
Task #7 for Becoming a Lovelier Woman
“Today you are going to analyze which instructions, advice and guidelines you’ve received in church but haven’t listened to.”
Do you know when the pastor says: “Daughter, forgive! Put that grudge aside!” But maybe you are thinking “Pastor, my case is different, you don’t know how much it hurts!” There you go filling up you “backpack.”
The man of God says: “Think about it, you don’t know that guy enough to marry him,” but you think “I love him and he’s the one I want to marry period!” There you are again ignoring the “guide’s” instructions.
Remember, rejecting instructions given by God and carrying unnecessary weight in your life will make you a frustrated and disillusioned woman.
Listen to your “guide,” get rid of the extra weight in you backpack and surely you will become a lovelier and happier woman.
P.S: During the climb I had to take off some of the clothes that I saw were unnecessary and I didn’t make use of almost any of the things in my backpack.
Oh, and there was a fountain of crystalline water that was used to refill our water bottles… that was indeed the best water I’ve had in my life!
Junior and me at the top of Ben Nevis
I like to think that I have taken all direction and have applied it to my life. I am still growing. I do find myself, though, initially doing things that I need to to get closer to God. My problem is that because they are all new to me, and I am taking advice on different topics, I forget to continue to do them. I need to make a more conscious effort to remain in the good habits that keep me close to God. And, even when it is difficult for me to let go of "baggage", I recognize I DO NOT want it my life and work towards ridding myself of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this message it is such an eye opener. Many times like you said we love to carry unnecessary weight in our backpacks. This weight that we have been carrying for many years is often what impedes us from succeedding in life. Our "guide" tells us to let it go but we are just so stubborn and we do otherwise. In order to reach the top we have to be humble enough and get rid of the extra weight; that way we will be "lovelier and happier woman" like you said.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it in that way. That we are carrying a backpack with us holding all of our hatred and grudges and everything else we insist on carrying around with us. Thank you Mrs. Nanda for all of these dares that are truly helping me become a lovelier woman.
ReplyDeleteHi Ms Nanda,
ReplyDeleteIt's so true on what you are saying, many times I've been given advice & just never really put it in to practice, but then I always ended up facing the consequences after.
Kisses.
Ms Nanda, thank so much for this post... This is so true.. It's not easy to forgive someone that had hurt us so much, it's not easy to love our enemies and definitely it's hard for us not to do and follow our own will. But God is so great that He uses people (men that are born of God) to instruct us.. And I thank God in my prayers to allow me to follow and obey the advices and instructions, because the only reason that I am changing it's for the fact that I put into practise the teachings from the Men of God. Thank you xxx
ReplyDeletei agree before i used to give advice to people and i never lisen to them because i used to think that i was okay aready.
ReplyDeletewow! it is amazing how those of can use one situation and are able to apply it to the "bigger picture" and how they then use it to guide others! this was very strong!
ReplyDeleteThis is very strong Mrs Nanda because sometimes we receive advise and take them for granted and only see how sereasy were they when we are in trable.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the guide Mrs Nanda, it is helpful because we sometimes fail to see how message can help us to remove those extra weight we bring in our lives. I am always doing my best to put into practice at least one thing from the message because that how words can bring us life.
ReplyDeleteHey Mrs. Nanda(:
ReplyDeleteI like the way you put that. I never really saw it that way either. We receive instructions given by God and we tend to ignore it sometimes. I’ll make sure to listen and follow through with the advice. Thank you for your message and the tasks you give for becoming a lovelier woman of God(:
Alcy Gomez
(Catedral)
Greeting Mrs Nanda
ReplyDeleteIt is true when we are given instruction we tend not to follow them not knowing that we were given the instruction for our own good. Not listening to advices when given can do more harm than good. It is important to listen to good advice whether given by a man of God or the bible. The person who gives us advice has our best interest at heart so we should listen for they know what is good for us
Thanks for this message!
ReplyDeleteVery Strong!
hello Mrs Nanda it is true that we need to listen we are given advice because it is going to help us
ReplyDeleteThank you Mrs Nanda for the message and I agree with you that when we are given advice we tend not to listening and later we regret because of the negative consequence it has on lives. Many people today regret not listening to someones advice as a result some have scars because they did not take someones advice.
ReplyDeleteThis is true! Being ignorant, bitter, and un-willing is always a terrible way to act.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that really stood out for me, and it was where you that if we get rid of the extra weight then we will become more lovelier and happier. i agree with you, this is so true. I am going to get rid of all this weight in my heart. Which has been there for quite a while. But is time to let go...thank you!
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs Nanda, most of time we don't obey the instruction we are given. We tend to do what we think is the best but we end up regretting.
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. Nanda,
ReplyDeletewell this is so true. It is funny how sometimes we think that our own will(decisions) are the correct ones because they sound just too logical but they actually turn out being the wrong ones. Thanks for the message.
Gabby
As women, we tend to be very stubborn, this is also something about myself that i need to change. When something is meant to be doe in one way, i divert and do it in the way tht i want. This needs to change as putting my own selfish needs and desires before is what will someday be my heavy backpack if i dont change now.
ReplyDelete