Mind The Gap...
Because some platforms on the London Underground are curved
and the rolling stock that uses them are
straight, an unsafe gap is created when a
train stops at a curved platform.[4] In the absence of a device
to fill the gap, some form of visual and auditory warning is needed to
advise passengers of the risk of being caught unaware and sustaining injury by
stepping into the gap. The phrase "Mind the gap" was chosen for this
purpose and can be found painted along the edges of curved platforms as well as
heard on recorded announcements played when a train arrives at many Underground
stations. Wikipedia
You often hear and see signs
with the warning “mind the gap” when you’re on the London underground. Its so glaring,
you can’t miss noticing it. You’re reminded to mind the gap between the train
and the platform, because sometimes you get so distracted by all your thoughts,
the music plugged in your ears, conversation with a friend or the paper or book
you’re engrossed in that you absentmindedly get on and off the train, but those
announcements cuts into your thoughts and you’re quite deliberate with getting on
and off the train… it’ll cause an avoidable havoc if your carelessness causes
your feet to slip into the gap. That seemingly small gap is a big problem if
you slip and fall in. There’s delay with the trains and probably injury that
completely derails you from arriving at where you’re going to at the time you
want it get there, if you get there at all.
Mind the gap; Guard your
heart.
We should have such warnings
to guard our hearts everywhere we turn. We shouldn’t get so distracted by life,
that we forget to remember to ‘mind the gap’, guard our hearts as we hop on
trains from one season to the other… when we don’t deliberately guard what gets
into our hearts, its easy to slip and fall into that gap leading to self inflicted
injuries of depression, strife and offense. And we know it’s hard to continue
your journey when you’re injured with strife in your heart.
This is your reminder to mind
the gap/guard your heart. Don’t be distracted by the relationships that have
gone sour… (no relationship should be so tasking that it distracts you and
makes you so weary that you don’t pay attention) don’t be distracted by your
desires… not even money, your needs or wants should be big enough to distract
you… falling or slipping into that small hole is of bigger consequences, God is
too big for you to limit him or lock him down to your distractions of self.
Don’t get tangled in the small… those seemingly small issues have bigger
consequences.
We’re so distracted by self,
that we don’t pay attention to where we’re going, thus easily fall in the gap
of strife of offense. With self-centeredness, it’s easy to fall into the gap of
offense, and the feeling of being offended broods more injuries than we can
handle, causing a larger damage.
People would hurt you yes.
You gave your all for that relationship and in the end, you weren’t treated
right, stop brooding on me me me… and
get over it. Dust the dirt, move on, forgive, as hard as it seems… and it is
hard, because you have legit reasons to be mad at that person, to wish them
evil… but you realize that making a decision to not pay attention to how the
hurt is affecting you sets you free and saves you from a lot… it takes a
decision to not dwell on the hurt, to let go and wish the person well… its good
riddance for you. Treat the open wound, let it heal and move on. Many girls especially
have fallen into this gap of bitterness, and we cant blame them, but it doesn’t
make it good for them. Not everything that is right is good for you. Some drugs
as much as they come with their healing abilities, have adverse side effects
much worse than what they cure. Your heart doesn’t need that.
People would come to talk, to
distract, to share grievances, to entice you with pity so you start to pick on
the wound that is healing, letting anger lay hold of you and soon your heart
gets so intertwined with bitterness, you fall in the gap and end up delaying
yourself from the better that the train you should have boarded was supposed to
take you to. Forget the past and move!
People would talk about you,
good and bad words would slip into your hearing… don’t dwell on them, or as you
take in too much candy of the good words you hear, when the bitterness of the
bad comes, it affects your mood and you stay wounded and distracted by self, too
distracted by being so focused on this opinions to mind the gap and you fall a
victim of your own self-centeredness… Take heed to those things lest at anytime
they make you slip… Stop opening your mind to irrelevant things.
“You’re not truly free until you are free from the opinions of men.”
Moyo Akin-Ojo
I recently began to realize
that most times, self-centeredness/pride is the cause of most of the issues we
go through. It was a hard truth to take in, but I did take it in.
When we fail at something,
why do we feel so beat up? Most times, its because we’re so concerned about
reputation, what people would say, how they would laugh… and so we refuse to
try again to save face. We let failure define us because we’re so selfish…
dwelling on self.
I recently hosted an event and
it went well… but I was so full of self at some point that I forgot the
motive/vision of what the event was about, and I kept sulking instead of
enjoying myself, I sulked so much I couldn’t speak well when I held the mic, I
sulked so much, I missed out on doing something important God instructed me to
do during the event… You see, I was so distracted by self that I was almost
falling into the gap, I quickly realized what was happening to me and I
repented. Did I follow my dreams in hosting the event? Yes. Was it successful?
Yes… it only didn’t go the way my self wanted it to go… in a way that I’d have
glorified self.
I have tried to convince
myself that I hate public speaking; I would rather write all I want to say and
give people to read… I’m so concerned about how I sound and if I’ll look good
doing it or what the people are thinking that I forget that there is a higher purpose
to my being called to speak… and I have to stop being such a selfish person to
overcome the fears and just do it… the Nike
way.
There are many things many
people dream of doing… things they have pictured in their hearts for as long as
they can remember, but are so selfish with their fear of failure that they
don’t even try to step out. Every legit reason for not trying has an undertone
of selfishness. Mind the gap, guard your heart, and don’t fall into that trap
of being so engulfed with self that you miss out on so much.
God sent Jesus to die,
knowing we had a free will to choose to believe and accept Him or not… but He
did it anyway, not holding back on His vision/dream because He feared no one
would accept this sacrifice… He did it anyway, moving beyond self and it’s paid
off, because every day, people’s hearts are surrendered to the power of this
love and the sacrifice of the cross.
Refusing to forgive people
who’ve hurt you in one way or the other is a sure way of slipping into the gap
and not getting on the train… you’re justified in your offense, just as God is
justified in His being angry at us, but He chose not to exercise His rights,
instead He forgave us ALL, through Jesus death. If He could do it, what’s our
excuse? God isn’t a selfish or self-centered God, He thought of us above all…
He doesn’t dwell on how much we hurt Him, or how we offend Him, or how after
all He’s done for us, we throw His love in the trashcan every chance we get…
Instead He dwells on how much He loves us. The blood of Jesus is His eternal
‘mind the gap’ reminder that He can never be angry with us anymore.
Let the same blood and the
love that allowed it spill be our own eternal reminder that we are equipped to
let go… that we have been equipped to move on from the past into the future. We
are equipped to rise above every hurt and disappointment and move on to better.
Let the blood be a reminder that we can guard our hearts and chose to rise
above shame and despair without falling into the gap of depression and
condemnation, that trap of self-pity that only helps in disrupting our journey.
Guard your heart because out
of it comes issues of life… when your heart is wounded, everything around you,
every issue you face mirrors the wound in your heart… you deal with people based
on the hurt you experience, and distrust causes contempt which just deepens the
wound some more.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust. Proverbs 4:23-27(MSG)
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust. Proverbs 4:23-27(MSG)
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