The Great Pay Off!

"On behalf of the eight generations of my family that have been in this country, we're gonna put a little fuel in your bus. This is my class, 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans." ~ Robert F. Smith

We all watched in awe as the billionaire announced that he would pay off all the student loans of the 2019 graduating class he was speaking to!  At a glimpse you could tell some people weren’t really paying attention, others it caught it at the end of his comments,  and still others were hanging onto his every word and their faces immediately showed it.  Either way we saw the relief, excitement and complete disbelief that took place in that arena; the hugs, tears and shock accompanied their joy.  I can only imagine how exciting it was to be a part of THAT graduating class! 

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Life has so many moments that we wish we were part of, or we wish we could do over.  If we had an inside scoop we could've better positioned ourselves to benefit from those moments.  While thinking about that graduation announcement, I couldn't help but wonder about the student that didn’t make it to graduation that day was thinking.  Maye they didn't make it because they had second thoughts about the difficult process.  Many times we may feel we need to do something else because we can barely afford the loans that we've already accumulated.  Maybe there was someone who wanted to attend that particular college, and would have been in that graduating class, but circumstances or fear caused them to change their mind and settle for something closer to home or more cost effective.  I can't imagine how it might feel to know you missed this - that you gave up too quickly.  Life has those moments.  We often think we missed something and in somem instances maybe we did, but that does not mean we will not be successful or prosper on our current road.  If you or someone you know may feel you have missed opportunities in life, I want to encourage you today in two ways....

Follow God

First thing:  It pays to hear from God in every aspect of your life.  The path He leads us on does not always look the simplest or the neatest, but God promises to be there with us.  Faith is believing what God said, even when everything else looks the opposite.  Since paying off loans is not a normal practice at graduations, you almost would have to believe that God led him to that for a specific purpose.  See the heart of the king is still in God's hands.  People can plan and decide what they are going to do, but if there is a praying person involved, God uses that to answer prayer.  It is like someone leaving thier house and deciding to pay something forward, they know they are looking for someone to bless, and by obeying God, you can be the person who crosses their path.  Perhaps there is someone in that class that God has answered their faith filled prayer, and everyone else benefits from it.  Now they and all who are with them can move forward in an accelerated pace because of this burden being lifted.  Some blessings are for people in particular, and  others are part of the overflow of being in their company.   It really does not matter which it is, it just pays to hear from God, do what He lays on your heart and be positioned whether it is to give or to receive.

Following God is Never a Miss

We often hear things like "I sure hate I missed that!"   Maybe you are a  person who feels that in life there are things that you know you missed.  This can show up in our relationships, in job opportunities or being at the right place at the right time.   Well don't be discouraged because -NO you didn’t miss it.  The path you are on, is purposeful!  Not everyone will receive this type of blessing in their life, and not everyone will need it.  It is kind of like the miracle of healing that happens instantly for some and gradually for others.  The miracle is not how soon or how quickly it happens, it is the fact that  IT HAPPENED.  God is glorified by faith,  so living, working and paying your loans may be just what someone needs to do to learn discipline or structure.  It could be that God receives MORE glory from the person who walks through the process because is a reminder to those looking that it can be done.   I'm not going to say it is not exciting and amazing what was done, I will just say - we serve an exciting and amazing God.... look what He has done!  

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

 In closing what would you do if that was you?  If all of a sudden all your student loan debt was washed away, or all your bills... What would you do?  Would you be seen at a club partying and paying for everyone's drinks?  Would you go buy something you were saving for an just jump out there and create  new debt since you don't have the previous debt?    It should not include spending frivolously, it should include taking advantage of every opportunity give you and talking to God about what He wants for your life.  truthfully, if you already talked to God about what college to go to and what course to take, your next steps should already be in your mind!  To all of our college graduates, those with loans, and those w'ithout them, "CONGRATULATIONS!"   Continue talking to God and getting direction from Him. Do Go forward in the next phase of your life don't be concerned about any 'missed opportunities', God has you regardless to which track you are on, and know that it's gonna be good!