HIMPower Magazine HimPower October 2017 | Page 31

L ife never throws anything at you with- out giving you options to get out of it. The Bible says, “There hath no temp- tation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape.” Consider your current situation? What options are available to escape it? Do you know? Are you ready to take steps? The Bible includes the story of a young man simply referred to as the prodigal son. He was the younger son of a wealthy man and one day he approached his father and asked for his inheritance to be given to him. His father obliged him and off he went on a journey to a far country where he squandered his money on riotous living. Afterwards, a famine arose in the land and he began to be in want. In desperation, he joined himself to a citizen of that country who sent him to the field to feed his swine. He was broke and very hungry and would gladly have eaten the pigs’ food but no one offered him any. This is how low he had sunk. He arrived in that country a man with great wealth but was reduced to a beggar of food, pig’s food. However, he came to himself and said, “How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” He considered his options carefully and arrived at a decision, to return to his father’s house; because, in his father’s house, even though he never regained his status as a son, as a servant, he would have more than enough to eat. He put aside fear; the fear of rejection and the fear of shame and humilia- tion and he arose and returned to his father. Interestingly, when he got home, he discov- ered his father was willing to receive him, not as a servant but as a son. He discovered also that his wrong doing had been forgiven and forgotten and everything he lost was restored to him the self-same day. The young man certainly got more than he bargained for when he set out to return home. No mention was made of the inheritance he squandered; rather he was given a welcome banquet fit for a king. All this happened because he was willing to take a risk and get out of his ugly situation in spite of the fear of rejection. If you will get up and follow your heart, in spite of your fears of rejection, your fears of shame and humiliation, you will discover, upon arrival at your destination, that what you were afraid of never existed. It was only a figment of your imagination to keep you longer in the unpleasant situation.  Eturuvie (AKA Gabriella) Erebor is a writer, public speaker, trainer, coach and the Founder of DOZ Network. www.himpowermagazine.com  31