PAYING DUES

In this life as men and women we will have trials and tribulations. No one knows your struggles or path taken like you. People see you but don't really know what you had to endure or overcome to get to where you are now or going to be soon. In order to attain any measure of success a person must first pay dues through hard work, determination, failure, setbacks, among other adversity.
In today's society we often see people who are successful be it financial, influential, or both and tend to assume that individual had it easy. Little do you realize the dues he or she had to pay before getting there.
Sometimes the individual making a lucrative income, knew how it felt to be broke and unemployed.
Sometimes the individual who is a powerful speaker and influential, knew how it felt to be voiceless and irrelevant.
Sometimes the individual in a loving relationship, knew how it felt to be brokenhearted, mistreated, and alone.
Sometimes the individual who lives life to the fullest no matter the circumstances, knew how it felt to be on the brink of depression and death.
A saying that I have heard different preachers say over the years is "You see my glory, but don't know my story." That statement speaks volumes and I can relate to it in my own life.

The bible says in James 1:12, " Blessed is the one perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

Poetic Thought:

Life is the canvass and you are Picasso,
Embrace your truth and lies let go,
Take all of life's lemons and turn them into lemonade,
Study to show yourself approve, make the grade,
The soundtrack of your life should be inspirational not down and out blues,
In order to receive the blessings, everyone will be paying dues! ~ JD

There is a song by R&B artist Anthony Hamilton that I like called "Point of it all". In the song he is professing his love to a woman. He is essentially saying that everything that is shared, experience between them comes back to the point that he loves her.
In the same case but different perspective, God is like that with us. Everything he allows us to go through before receiving the promise, the blessing, he says the point of it all my son, my daughter is I love you! Paying dues is not like paying taxes because no one is EXEMPT! Until next time, class dismiss!!!