The Last Shall Be First,Excerpt from A Life Beyond Limits: Overcoming Private Pain
by Nataki Suggs
God promises that the last shall be first, but, as one continues
to be looked over, this promise becomes harder to believe. It is
almost as if you wear a sign on your forehead that says, “Don’t
pick me first!” You may even become wayward in your thinking
and believe that you are not worth being first, which gives way
to you settling for second-rate things. You may also begin to
become envious or jealous of others because they always seem
to get ahead while your situation never seems to change.
The feeling of being last caused me to dream. I dreamt of
having things go my way for a change. I dreamt of being picked
first. I even dreamt of being a writer. However, I did not really
think that I could achieve any of those dreams, so procrastination
and slothfulness became my running partners. Finally I realized
that the dreams I had were not just mere dreams, they were
indicators of my desire to be first, blessed, happy, whole, and
content.
I wanted a real relationship with God. Stumbling upon a
scripture that confirmed these desires caused me to write it down
in poetry. I also wrote this poem to encourage others who have
always felt that they were in second place, or in the shadow of
a sibling, cousin, or even the last choice in a group of friends. I
The Last Shall Be First
wanted each person to know that last is not always a bad place
because it can be said that some ‘save the best for last.’
“But many who [now] are first will be last [then], and many
who [now] are last will be first [then]” (Matthew 19:30 AMP).
You may feel forgotten
You may even feel that it’s too late to escape
From being in second place
But rest assure roles will reverse
And you will be first in line
Delayed but not denied
The chance to advance in this life
Because of the many fights
And the blows that never seem to go
But I will say one day…
This will go away
Just believe, know, have faith in God and the last will be
first
Stay strong; hold on,
The storms will pass you by
And then you will be blessed to see why you made it
through life’s tests
God will straighten the crooked places that you have been
facing
Then you will receive your divine destiny…
These tests of your faith
The Last Shall Be First
Will keep you holding on day by day
He sees all, knows all,
And is the One who will open the door
I know it hurts...
But God promised in His Word that the last shall be first.
Copyright ©2007 by Nataki Suggs
