Wendy Grages, Author at 1Africa

Be a person of your word

Wendy Grages

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August 30, 2016

Are you a person of your word? Do you do what you say you’re going to do? You may have heard the phrases, “The cheque’s in the mail”, “I’ll call you right back”, “We should meet for coffee sometime”, or “I’ll have it on your desk by the end of the day”.

We may all be guilty of using one of these phrases, while never following through on what we promised. In our society today, people know all the right things to say, but very few people actually stick to their word and deliver what they promised. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

Why is it important to be a person of your word? For me, the main reason is because it’s a sign of your integrity as a person. Integrity is defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”. Integrity builds trust and trust builds credibility and credibility builds respect.

So what are some simple ways we can all become better at being people of our word?

Be on time: If you are chronically late to everything, you need to have a look at why. Being late for a meeting or appointment says to the other person that what you had to do is more important than them. I am still working on this one but I realised the reason I ran late so often was because I underestimated how much time I had to be able to get to my destination. If you are always five or 10 minutes late, set your clocks forward five or 10 minutes or adjust how much time you are giving yourself to get to where you need to be.

Do what you say you’ll do: If you’ve promised to call someone back, then do it. If you’ve promised to have something finished by the end of the day, then get it done. And if you can’t do what you’ve promised due to factors beyond your control, then communicate. Explain what happened and set another time and date for it to be done. Keeping quiet when someone is waiting on something from you can be super frustrating. Just think back to a time when someone promised you something, didn’t follow through on it, and then just kept quiet. Really annoying, isn’t it?

Let your word be trusted: One of the greatest compliments you can receive is to be known as a person whose word can be trusted. The world needs more people whose actions line up with their words. Let’s take up the challenge to lead the way in being people of our word.

If you have trouble keeping your word and would like prayer, we would love to chat to you. Knowing and following Jesus Christ gives us the strength and ability to overcome all our struggles and shortcomings. Click on the pop up banner or link below to find out more.

Things you shouldn’t say when bad things happen

Wendy Grages

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August 30, 2016

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Things you shouldn’t say when bad things happen

You don’t have to look far to read about or hear about a tragedy that has struck some part of our world. Whether it’s a suicide bombing, a school shooting, a senseless murder or natural disaster, all we seem to be bombarded with is constant negative news.

I remember scrolling through my Facebook feed recently and every other post was a report on a disaster somewhere in the world. I actually cannot remember a time when we had this many bad things happening in our world, all at the same time.

So, what is your response when bad things happen? Many well-meaning people try to comfort people with their words or try to make sense somehow of the tragedy.

So what are some things you shouldn’t say when bad things happen?

Everything happens for a reason: Well sometimes, things just happen. Especially evil things, they are senseless and cruel. The only reason they happened is because someone chose to inflict hurt and pain on others.
God is punishing you/them: I’m sorry but I do not believe that God sends tragedy on people because He is punishing them. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9 that God is patient with us, not wanting anyone to be destroyed, but rather see us turn to Him. I know there will come a day when evil will be eradicated from the earth and people will answer for the atrocities they have committed, but that day is not now. God is eagerly calling people to know Him.
It must be somebody’s fault: Many times we are looking for someone to blame. After all, it must somebody’s fault. But sadly there isn’t always someone or something to blame. Sometimes bad things happen for no apparent reason. They happen to good people, they happen to bad people. It is a part of life. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is just listen, be there for people and pray.

Pray that God will turn the situation around. Pray that evil does not prosper. Pray that people find God in the midst of the chaos and tragedy.

So the next time you feel tempted to give your opinion on the why or what behind a tragedy, just remember: you don’t have to say anything. Just be there, listen and pray.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

To know more about this love for yourself, click on the link below or on the pop up.

When the days are dark

Wendy Grages

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August 25, 2016

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Have you ever gone through a time where it seems like the days are dark? Maybe you are currently going through a tough time at work, or you find yourself in an overwhelming season of life.

No matter what season of life you find yourself in, we can all experience days that are dark. You pray, and nothing seems to change, no-one has an answer for you and you are stuck feeling alone and in despair. Sound familiar?

Well, you are not alone. Everyone, no matter who they are, or where they are from, experiences these dark days from time to time. We can’t always control what we have to go through and at times, it’s just plain tough!

So what can you do to get through dark days?

Realise that you are not alone: Even though you may feel all alone, the truth is you are not. God promises to be with us.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says this: “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” That verse comforts me. God will not fail you nor abandon you, even on your worst day. Call out to God in prayer; He is faithful to come to your rescue.

Dark days will come to us all: We were never promised an easy life, free from trouble. It’s not your fault and you are not the only one experiencing tough times. It happens to us all at one point or another. Jesus Himself said in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In the midst of dark days, we can find peace through Jesus.

Get out there: Get out into the sunshine, go for a walk, phone a friend, meet up with someone for coffee. Anything you can do to keep your perspective healthy will be so good for you. Find a friend you can confide in, that can support you and encourage you. Going for a walk in the sunshine can do wonders to boost your mood. Don’t stay isolated at home, meeting someone for coffee is a great way to get your mind off what you are facing.

And finally, if you are finding yourself living in some dark days, know that they cannot last forever. Just like the seasons change, so do the stages of life we go through. You will make it through and you will see good days again. Hang in there!

Jesus is near to all who call on His name. If you need to connect with Him today, click on the pop up banner or on the link below.

What you do is not who you are

Wendy Grages

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August 24, 2016

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I recently came across someone who was taking a sabbatical from their work. A sabbatical is a period of leave from your job to rest and refresh. The question I had was, “What would I do with months off from my normal day-to-day job?”

Imagine it for a minute. What would you do if you had six months off from your studies or your job? What would you do with yourself? How would you feel about not going to class every day or going into the office? Who would you be, what would you do?

For so many people, their identity is found in what they do. It’s something I had to ask myself recently. Who am I outside of the job that I do? While our careers or studies may be fulfilling, it’s easy to fall into the trap that we are what we do. Remember – what you do is not who you are.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Who are you? If you answered a teacher, a pastor, a student or clerk, you need to take a minute and evaluate who you really are. You are so much more than what you do. You are passionate, you are kind, you are loving, you are smart, you are talented. You are not what you do. You are you, no matter what role you take up in society.
Use one word to describe you: When you answer this one, make sure that the word you use to describe you does not coincide with what you do. It’s trickier than it seems but this is a great exercise to do to see where your identity lies.
Are you happy with who you have become? Sometimes what we do gives us sense of fulfilment and confidence. But sometimes what we do can turn us into someone we don’t recognise. Either way, don’t let what you do define who you are. If what you do makes you feel good about yourself, that’s great, but make sure that you know who you are outside of what you do. On the other hand, if you don’t like who you have become, you can make changes in your life. You decide who you are.

If you had to do something totally different tomorrow, would you know who you are? Would you be happy with who you are?

Just some food for thought. I love this verse in Psalm 139,

“You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

God has designed you incredible and unique. Find out who He created you to be and be that person.

To find out more about knowing who God created you to be, click on the link below or on the pop up.

The purpose in your pain

Wendy Grages

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August 18, 2016

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Have you ever gone through something painful? Did you know that you could find purpose in your pain?

Many of us try to avoid pain at all costs and I think that’s a totally normal response. But if we allow it, the pain could have a purpose in our lives. I believe that if we allow it to, almost all pain could lead to some sort of growth in our lives. I know in the midst of pain, it’s difficult to imagine how that could be true. There’s an interesting verse in the Bible (Proverbs 20:30) that says, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways”.

The truth is that no matter what you have been through or what you are going through, God can use your pain to grow you and it can take on a purpose. I don’t know about you but I would trade purposeful pain for purposeless pain any day.

The key is to allow God into our painful situation, and allow Him to begin to work things out for our good and for the good of others. He is always with us and we need not suffer alone.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1, verses 4 and 6:

“God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things”.

Your pain can help you to help others so that no-one has to face life alone.

So here’s a few things to keep in mind as you allow pain to have purpose in your life:

God is with you: He promises to never leave you or forsake you
You will make it through: You are stronger than you think
Use the pain: Let it make you more sympathetic, more compassionate, more humble, more caring.

Allow God into your painful situation and watch Him turn it around.

To find out more about how to draw closer to God, click on the link below or on the pop up banner.

Racism: the problem is not skin colour

Wendy Grages

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August 16, 2016

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It seems that racism is rearing it’s ugly head again in full force. It makes one wonder if we’ll ever be free from it.

It’s been all over the news lately – I’m sure you’ve seen it. Recently, in America, there were a number of black people shot by white policemen. Protesting ensued and then white policemen were gunned down by a black shooter. Then there’s the Black Lives Matter movement that is standing up against the injustice that has been taking place between civilians and police officers. It’s all gotten a little crazy and there are people on both sides of the issue who are furious and fed up. Something has got to shift and change.

But, here’s a thought I had: Racism is not about skin colour. It’s not about black versus white. It’s not about that at all. And I think the sooner we realise that, the sooner we can defeat this giant called racism.

So, what is racism about if it’s not about colour, you may ask? In my opinion, when it comes to racism, the problem isn’t skin colour, it’s sin.

You see, when one group of people mistreat another group of people, it may seem like it’s based on the difference of the colour of their skin but it’s actually based on a major sin, which is pride.

That’s right, pride. Anytime we exalt ourselves over someone else, the root of that mindset or action is pride.

Pride says:

I am more valuable than you: When we begin feeling like we are more valuable than another person, we will begin to mistreat them. It may start out small but if not nipped in the bud, it can turn ugly very quickly.
I deserve more than you: No matter your reasoning around this statement, the minute we start believing that we deserve more than another person, we are full of pride and set ourselves up to fall into the trap of racism.

Where do you stand on this matter? It’s something to think about and keep checking our own hearts so ensure that we recognise racism for what it is and combat it in ourselves first. We will then be in a much stronger position to affect change in other people.

I realise that this is a massive issue that deserves much dialogue, introspection and prayer. I felt that I couldn’t stay silent any longer about it and have just seeded a few thoughts to get us all thinking.

In the Bible, it says in Romans 12:21:

“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

The love of Jesus is the only real answer to conquering racism. If you’d like to know more about that, click on the link below or respond to the banner pop up.

How to wait well

Wendy Grages

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August 9, 2016

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Have you ever found yourself waiting for something to happen? I think many of us have been there, and more than once! Waiting can be such a frustrating thing. I’m not talking about waiting in line for a concert or waiting in traffic. Today’s post is about waiting for something with no end in sight.

For some, it’s waiting for a promotion. For others it could be waiting to meet the right person, or waiting to have a child, waiting to purchase a car, waiting to purchase a house, waiting to retire. Waiting, waiting, waiting, with no guarantee of the end in sight.

So since we all find ourselves waiting in life for one thing or another, how do we wait well?

Stay engaged in the moment: It’s so easy to start daydreaming about the “one day when” of what you are waiting for. But if we are not careful, it can distract us from what we should be focusing on in the here and now. In many instances, there is much God wants to prepare in us before that door opens. Let Him do what He needs to do in you so that when what you are waiting for presents itself, you will be totally ready.

Make frustration your friend: So many times, in the waiting, we can get frustrated and fed up. If left unchecked, frustration can lead us to try to make our own way, make things happen on our own, or try to force doors open. Don’t let that happen. Let frustration make you better. Read, practice, learn something new. Let frustration push you to better yourself in the waiting.

At the end of the day, we can’t control time or opportunity. All we really can do is learn and practice how to wait well.

I find this verse in Psalm 27:14 encouraging:

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

Waiting takes bravery and courage. But we can trust that God is in control and will bring about the right things in our lives at the right time.

So friends, let’s wait well, make frustration our friend, and trust God that at the right time the right things will happen in our lives.

To find out more about trusting God, click on the pop up or banner below.

When people don’t agree with you

Wendy Grages

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August 4, 2016

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Have you ever found yourself in a situation where people don’t agree with you? Maybe it’s with your colleagues at work, or at university, or perhaps at the family dinner table. What do you do when people don’t agree with you?

We all have our own opinions and ideas, and that is a good thing! If we all thought the same, we would be very boring. Diversity in views, beliefs, and opinions is something to be celebrated, not squashed.

But say you find yourself really passionate and adamant about a viewpoint or a way of doing things and you just want everyone to see your point and get on board. That’s much easier said than done. To avoid frustration when people are not coming around to your way of thinking, there are few things you must know:

People don’t have to agree with you to have heard you: I wish I had figured this one out a long time ago. You see, in arguments or discussions, we think we have “won” when the other person agrees with us. But that’s simply not true. Someone can vehemently disagree with you to your face but that does not mean that they didn’t hear what you said. Give people time to process and absorb what you were saying. You never know, the next time you speak to them about it, you may have influenced their way of thinking.
Choose relationships over being right: Many relationships have been damaged over arguments and differences in opinion. Many times, it’s simply not worth it. Don’t let petty differences ruin friendships and relationships. Life is short. What matters today, may not matter that much tomorrow. Think carefully before dismissing a colleague, neighbour, or family member over a difference in viewpoint.

It’s great to have an opinion on things but just think twice before “going to war” over it. Be kind; be respectful; listen to the other person. You may just find yourself influencing more people than you thought possible, all because you were willing to keep the relationship intact despite your differences.

Remember, people don’t have to agree with you to have heard what you had to say.

If you have relationships in your life that have been damaged over arguments and differences in opinion, it doesn’t have to stay that way. Why not bring them to God in prayer and ask Him to help you make things right. To find out more, click on the banner below or on the pop-up window.

Why doing nothing is okay

Wendy Grages

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August 2, 2016

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I sat in bed and found myself staring out my window. I caught myself feeling guilty that I was just sitting there doing nothing. But then this thought occurred to me: Maybe sometimes doing nothing is okay.

Our culture today is so fast-paced. We always have to be doing something. I think we can sometimes find validation for who we are by what we do.

Think about it for a minute. Even when we go on leave from work or break from studying, we want to plan every minute of our break-away. Have you ever come back from holiday more exhausted than when you left? That’s because we are obsessed with doing things and being busy.

I know I’m going to sound old saying this, but remember the good old days? Before cell phones and hundreds of TV channels? Do you remember how your grandparents used to sit on the porch and just be? Sometimes being alone with your thoughts is a good thing, and not something to avoid at any cost.

Sometimes our brains need to shut off

We are extraordinary beings, with our brains working at 100km per minute. But sometimes, our brains need a break too. Just to be still, with no stimulation, nothing to process, nothing to solve – just to be. Taking some time out to just do nothing could be like a power nap for your brain!

Silence is golden

We live in such a loud world. Whether its traffic, our phones ringing, the TV blaring or music playing in our ears, there is rarely any moments of quiet. When last did you hear the birds singing, or listen for the sounds of nature? There’s so much constant noise around us that I think it’s made us think that’s normal.

Peace and quiet is an underrated life-saver! Why not take a few minutes this week and just do nothing. Be alone with your thoughts, listen to nature around you, stare out a window. I think you’ll find it more refreshing and rejuvenating than you thought possible.

God promises us peace and rest for our souls that comes from knowing Him. To find out more, click on the pop up or banner below.

Not perfect? That’s perfect!

Wendy Grages

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July 28, 2016

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Have you ever felt like you need to be perfect to be a good Christian or follower of Jesus? I know I felt like that for many years. I thought I had to have myself all cleaned up and together before God would accept me or care about me or talk to me.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. God began to show me that He is not waiting for us to pull ourselves together before we can have a real, meaningful relationship with Him. Quite the opposite!

The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I love this verse because it shows so clearly that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. He died for us knowing how we would go against His ways, knowing how many times we would reject Him, knowing what sins we would still commit and He died anyway. Wow, that is love that is hard to fathom!

I think one of the biggest things that keep us away from God is this self-guilt that we are not worthy to come to God because we are ashamed of what we have done. But that is a lie.

Here are some things to know about God:

He’s a loving Father: The Bible tells a story in the book of Luke about a wayward son who had turned his back on his father and went out and disgraced himself and his family name with wild living. When he had nothing left, he decided to try to go home. But do you know, his father wasn’t angry, wasn’t waiting to punish him or give him a lecture. The Bible says that his father was anxiously looking and waiting, ready to welcome his son back. He didn’t demand that he clean up before he would be allowed in. Instead, the father provided the clean clothing and shoes and prepared the most extravagant feast. That story is an awesome depiction of the love that God has towards us.
Nothing can separate us from His love: This one is hard for us to comprehend because as human beings, our love is so often conditional. It’s hard to imagine that a pure and perfect God can love us even when we have done the worst of the worst. But that is who He is. The Bible says that absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. He loves us when we have it all together and He loves us just the same when we are messing up royally.

I pray that encourages you today to not wait until you feel you have it all together before you come to God. Run to Him today, just as you are and let Him clean you up and love on you and talk with you.

What are you waiting for? He’s waiting for you with open, loving arms.

Wendy Grages

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