The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)

There is victory waiting for you

- Catherine GalassoVig­orito

Arturo Toscanini was a cello player in a small European orchestra. He was nearsighte­d and couldn’t see the music on the stand in front of him, so patiently and persistent­ly he memorized it. One evening, the orchestra’s leader was unable to conduct. Toscanini stepped in to replace him since he was the only orchestra member who knew the program. His performanc­e was executed with perfection and Toscanini became one of the finest conductors in the world.

Toscanini turned a disadvanta­ge into a blessing by going one step further than the norm. An unexpected turn became the path to success.

Perhaps, you feel rejected or discourage­d. Or “no” seems to be the answer everywhere you turn. Maybe, someone hurt you or your plans didn’t pan out, and you may think that the clock is running out of time. “I should have done things differentl­y,” you might say. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this,” as doubt creeps into your mind. And little by little, you may start to withdraw. For when unjust circumstan­ces try to steal the music from our lives, it’s easier to get stuck in the hurts of the past, give in, and quit.

But regardless of what has come and has tried to discourage you, remember God has not forgotten about you. He is not going to let you miss your destiny. For this is not the time to quit. It’s the time to reassess, regenerate and persevere.

What do you really want for your future? Each day is like a clean, white sheet of paper. You can begin now to fill it with reawakened dreams, new plans and joy- filled adventures. An unforeseen roadblock cannot defeat you. Let go of past disappoint­ments, because God’s grace and mercy is new every morning. God’s unfailing love surrounds you and He can work miracles in your life. You can count on Himfor He has promised, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” ( Hebrews 6: 13- 14).

There is victory waiting for you. Thus, don’t give up and keep moving forward. Suddenly, you are going to come into opportunit­y. You are about to overcome what you are facing. Get ready. There’s soon to be a turnaround.

One of my favorite Bible stories is from the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 4: 1- 7 it tells us about The Widow’s Oil. The story begins tragically. A woman’s husband died, and he left her in severe financial ruin. She had no money and was faced with disaster. To make matters worse, the creditors were demanding payment and threatenin­g to take her two sons as slaves in compensati­on for her husband’s debt.

I can image that the widow felt as if the music went out of her life.

For it seemed that she had lost everything. Yet, the widow had great faith in God. She needed a miracle and believed God would help her. So, she cried out to Elisha, who was God’s prophet, and told him her desperate plight. “Elisha replied to her, ‘ How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?’” ‘“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil”’ ( 2 Kings 2 NIV).

Elisha asked her to do something unusual. “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side” ( 2

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