LEVELED

"Cultivate the ground you're standing on."

These were the words replaying in mind at a time I was fed up with my own life. At the time I was trying to find a consistent job, get an agent and find stable housing. I don't know about you but I am not that self-aware to check myself like that. Furthermore, I’ve never used the word “cultivate” before. I knew that those words had to come directly from God's lips to my heart. I was complaining all the time, I was unhappy with my circumstances and I FELT like there was nothing I could do about it.

Over the years, I must admit, I have gotten better at not complaining so much. However, the real turning point came when I turned 30. That instruction became my mantra. I found myself yet again unhappy with where I was in life. But it was not until then that the light bulb came on. Too often I was focused on what I wanted, looking towards the future so much so, that I was not building a solid foundation for my future promises to stand on. According to my good ole faithful friend, Webster Dictionary, “cultivate” means to prepare, to improve by labor, care or study and my favorite definition, to foster the growth of.

OHHH that's what He meant by "cultivate"? After that epiphany, I started focusing on the "now". What can I do right now, on my current level, to get me to that promise?

I remember when I was a sub teacher way back when. I was substituting for a co-teacher for the students with learning disabilities. All the kid’s heads are bowed down except for Julio’s. I walked over and I asked him “what’s going on? Why aren’t you working?” He responds, “I don’t get it”. You see, it was math, and math is NOT my specialty. I, with all confidence and humility, signaled his teacher and told him that Julio was having a hard time understanding the material and he needed to break it down for him again.

When the class was over, I walked over to Julio and told him “if you do not understand something, you cannot just give up, you must ask for help. It is the beginning of the school year so all your teacher is going to do is build on top of the foundational principles he is teaching you today. You must get it at this level or you will be confused throughout the school year.” Oh MAN, I thought I was so brilliant for my little pep talk to young Julio. I am not sure but I believe he walked off confident that he would conquer the year.

Maybe a few months later, I remembered that talk with Julio and thought to myself, “maybe God was talking to me, through me to Julio.” You see we can sometimes get so frustrated with the monotony of life that we aren’t really working with what we got. This was so powerful to me! FOUNDATION! How am I at my current level? God is not the kind of teacher that will allow me to fall behind. He will not give me more unless I have mastered what He has already given me. We have to build right where we are. That is what my blog is about. How am I fostering the growth of every compartment of my life? Whether it is finances, career, personal goals, or aspirations, we have to start somewhere. Why not with what God has already provided us. If I had to choose a scripture for the theme of this blog series it would be Luke 16:10, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much…” NOW this goes to show, I am not saying let go of the promise. I am asking that you use the promise as motivation to help you create, build and grow right where you are; that you will not be ashamed of your level but embrace it, knowing that more is to come as long as you are willing to put in the work. God is not just in the promise, He is also in the process. Join me in plowing, making good ground for the incredible future that has been PROMISED to us all.

-V