Surviving The Big Squeez

I have been absent from the bogsphere for 8 months! I apologize for my absence, which has somewhat to do with the title of my post today. In the time that I have been away, Barak Obama has made history, becoming the first Black president of the US, Penelope Cruz and Sean Penn have won Oscars and ........ what else? Oh the world has entered the worst financial recession since the end of the 2nd world war! As if anyone could miss that. Which brings me to my blog for today. There is a big financial squeeze going on in the world today. The world's most well-known banking and auto institutions have gone bankrupt and investors have lost billions of dollars. Things are tight. But how do you respond to difficult times? How do you survive when cornered by life?

My story today draws lessons from how King David escaped uscathed from a tight situation. And although the details of the story are different from walking a financial tightrope, the principles are applicable none the less.

Like David, when in a tight place, we can survive by doing the following three things:

1. Forget past achievements. 

In fact, the memory of past achievements and the sense of entitlement, depression or bravado that it may bring can be downright dangerous. In the above reference it was precisely because Achish's men mentioned David's past heroics that his life was in danger. Resting on our laurels will only let us down in times like these.

2. Act crazy

As the cliche goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. In a desperate measure in our story, David begins to act crazy.  The emphasis is on the word act. We must do things we would not ordinarily do when times are hard; like eating out, or giving away money. My point is that we need to act counterintuitively, think on our feet and be innovative. Do something unexpected. This throws the opposition and gives you a window of opportunity to move up to the next level.

3. See value in the opposition. 

Here, I use the word opposition in a broad sense to denote whatever situation or odds that you are up against. Once again, referring to our text, we see the opposition reminding David as it were, that he had something special in him. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. And although their words were designed to put David in jeopardy, they also formed the basis of the way of escape that David found. David realised in that split second that he was, after all, a king. He had the anointing of God Almighty on him. There was no situation too difficult for him to survive, and there was nothing he could not do. I am speculating now, but I think that this realisation produced in David the inspiration to do the unusual (act crazy). The text tells us as much. "David took these words to heart ...... so he pretended to be insane....." 

What is your tight place in which you find yourself today? What are the words you keep hearing over and over again in your mind that brings you discouragement and desperation? Turn the tables against the odds. You are of very high value as an individual and you are capable of far more than you give yourself credit for. Find inspiration in your squeeze. Out of the deepest mines come the purest diamonds. You will survive this one also.

Be blessed today.