Slideshow image

"The whole course of things goes to teach us faith. We need only obey. There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening we shall hear the right word..."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes we get caught up in the midst of it all.

There is a certain level of obedience that comes when our faith is tested. We can only know the extent and true power of a miracle when we are faced with turmoil. It is through our decision - to obey or disobey - that we find our consequences.

Napoleon Hill, one of the greatest thinkers of all time and author of "Think Grow Rich", once shared his story about his son. His son, Blair, was born with a condition called bilateral microtia. This meant that, in his condition, he was born with no outer ear - just skin closing up what would've been an ear canal. 

But Napoleon had a strong will.

A desire, if you will. 

He longed for his son to be able to hear. His son had been born without ears and never had the chance to experience sound. And yet, Napoleon renewed his pledge to his son Blair day in and day out that he would seek a resolution.

He vowed that he would find a miracle that allowed his son to hear. 

So he started speaking to him. Then reading to him. Then sending his son to a regular, everyday school like other able-bodied children. He refused to teach him sign language one the good faith that his son would one day hear.

He told his son that the people he met would give him special attention and extraordinary kindness. He told him he could use this to his advantage because he had been granted favour. 

Now, imagine looking at someone who’s going through something that you’ve never experienced before. You find it difficult to put yourself in that person's shoes because you assume that what you are seeing is hard. You imagine the internal battle they must be facing when it comes to their own idea of self-image and self-worth. 

You assume that that person views themselves in the same way, but they don't. In fact, they know they are blessed. They know they’re getting extra favour. They know that they have an advantage.

Every adversity brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage.

Napoleon Hill made it known to his son that he was special and different from others. Then, one day after all his practises and hard work, Blair started to show some signs of light at the age of 10.

This led to his son being miraculously able to hear music one day. With the help of a Victrola, Blair could hear sound waves being picked up by his outer ear through bone conduction. The waves were then converted into the inner ear. Napoleon had to speak to his son by pressing his lips against his skull so the vibrations could be picked up.

Thanks to Napoleon's efforts and sheer desire for his son to hear, Blair could now hear vibrations. The desire that Napoleon started and instilled in his son created this miracle. It willed him to pursue the excellence that was inside of him. It prompted them to pursue a miracle and they received it because of their obedience to the task at hand.

How strong is your desire?

When you didn't get what you wanted right away, did you dim down your will a bit? And how can you propel it to where it needs to go?

It begins and ends with a choice.

Napoleon Hill and Blair had a choice: they could accept defeat and move with those who also couldn’t hear, or they could pursue victory with relentless desire for their miracle. Thank God they chose the latter.

Today I encourage you to use your desire as a conduit for your miracle. You never know just what's waiting for you on the other side.

#GETAFTERIT

- JH

Like this post? Click here for more information on how you can get involved with AOTG!