I stared at the fl oor thinking， That‘s all she has to say？ This woman is something else！
Then it hit me that Jackie was telling me to trust in God and that He hadn’t forgotten me. She was telling me that I should put faith not in the wisdom of man but in the power of God. She was telling me to surrender to God and to thank Him， even though I didn‘t feel He deserved thanks. She was telling me to thank God in advance for blessings that would come of this pain. She has a powerful faith， and she always reminds me， when I feel confused or hurt， to surrender to God， because He has a plan for us all.
LIFE GUIDES
These “life guide” relationships are not always easy going. Your “guides” will give you a reality check or even a kick in the pants. But they care enough to make you really think about what you are doing， where you are going， why you are in the game， and what comes next. You want people like that in your life.
When I decided to become a public speaker and to encourage others to have faith， I shared the decision with my closest friends and family. Some were concerned， including my parents. The Apostolic Christian Church that I belong to has dispatched many missionaries over the years. They’ve built orphanages and helped many in need. When I told my parents that I wanted to speak about my faith to other denominations in churches around the world， they had misgivings about my health and concerns about whether this mission was truly what God wanted for me.
I listened to them because I knew they wanted me to be successful. You should do the same when your own Dream Team offers opinions about your plans， especially if you want them to remain invested in your success. Honor them and give careful thought to their advice and guidance. You don‘t have to accept it， but respect that they care enough to tell you even what you may not want to hear.
I respected my parents’ concerns， but I felt God was calling me to be an evangelist. My mission then was to be obedient and patient and pray that they‘d come to feel the same way. By God’s grace， not only my parents but also the church accepted my calling. Its leaders stood behind me and ordained me as the church‘s fi rst Minister of Evangelism.
There are no promises or guarantees that everyone you meet will want to help you. Some may even try to discourage you. They may have the best intentions and good reason to be worried. None of my parents’ fears were irrational， but I prayed that their faith would overcome all those concerns.
Parents and their grown children often must agree to disagree and move on. The same holds true with other members of your Dream Team. You may be proven wrong when you go your own way. You may be proven right. In the end， being right isn‘t what’s important.
I am so thankful that my parents and I can respect each other‘s opinions and decisions. By God’s grace， our relationship withstood a test， and we emerged even closer than before because of our deep love and mutual respect. If we had not talked openly about our feelings， the outcome might not have been such a happy one.
I attended my church regularly as my base and did my best to mentor the young people there. But I also began to branch out， speaking to other churches， reaching out to people in a much wider area. I‘m pleased to report that many of the young people have moved forward in their relationships with God， and I thank Him for that.
My mum and dad prayed for me and with me on the day in 2008 when I was officially ordained an evangelist， and that experience brought us to a new level of mutual love and respect. My parents knew that I was committed and dedicated to spreading the word of God. To have them all pray for me in front of the entire church congregation was something I’ll never forget. I have to say that my parents are my strongest supporters， and they were right far more than they were wrong about the important decisions in my life.
You should never take relationships for granted， especially those with your closest family members. The rewards last a lifetime.
Take time now to evaluate your people skills， the quality of your relationships， and what you put into them. Are you trustworthy？ Do you trust those closest to you？ Are you attracting people willing to invest in your success？ Are you honoring them？ Are you putting into the relationship as much as you are taking out？
Each time I‘m laughing and enjoying my family， I realize how much I live for such moments. My hope is to somehow convince them that San Diego beaches are better than Australian beaches so that I can always have them near. Hold your loved ones as close as you can， as long as you can.
The quality of your relationships has a huge impact on the quality of your life， so please treat them as precious. Don’t take them for granted. The Bible says， “Two are better than one， because they have a good return for their work： If one falls down， his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up！”