I must say that I never thought I'd see the day that I would sit down and intentionally write ANYTHING, nor did I think that if I ever did...that it would be called "blogging". Weird stuff! However, I must let you in on a slight confession....I was supposed to do this a long time ago. Ryan Summers just happened to be, unknowingly, that little "nudge" I needed to get started. He gave me a third of a nudge when he decided to start his own blog not too long ago and encouraged me to do the same (which I obviously didn't), and then he gave me another third of the nudge tonight. So where is the middle third you ask...you wouldn't believe it if I told you. The middle third came about an HOUR before Ryan posted on my Facebook wall that I needed to blog (again:). You will see in time that my mind works in strange ways. Ha! It is often ONE word that starts a major thought process for me. I will break down ONE word for hours until I get what I believe God wanted me to get out of it. Tonight I was thinking about the word "change". I didn't break it down like I normally would. I was curious about the "why" (the psychological reasoning) behind people being so unwilling and resistant to change. I read several different psychology articles, and then I came across one talking about "The Inconvenience of Change". Ok, so I should have left this one alone, but inquiring minds like me...wanted to know :) The writer was talking about INTENTION + ABILITY = CHANGE. No big deal you say?? Well, I didn't think so either until I continued reading and got to the two examples she used:
Here’s an example of perceived ability and how it affects behavior: Two people have equally strong intentions to start a blog. If both try to do so, the person who is confident that he can master this activity is more likely to persevere than is the person who doubts his ability.
Here’s an example of intention and how it affects behavior: Two people have equal ability to start a blog. The one who is motivated to do so and makes a plan to have it up and running by the end of the month is more likely to become a blogger.
At a different time in my life, I would have shut my eyes, ears, and heart off immediately.....and there is no doubt the computer would have been shut down as well. Out of sight, out of mind. Someone in my life that I hold very dear to my heart made a statement to me several years ago that made me start paying attention to who I am, what I am "good" at, what other people say I'm good at, and...what God created me to be good at. Those who are close to me know that I have struggled for many years with discovering my strengths. We, more often than not, feel that if we don't have any "noticeable" talents like singing, art, fashion/interior design, mad culinary skills, or even the passion to go earn 2 or 3 degrees in order to someday, in hopes, fly past the $100K a year mark in a career that we LOVE...(which, hey, don't think I wouldn't like to!)...people like that, which just happens to be people like ME, feel like we don't have anything to offer anyone. We sometimes go through life just wondering why in the heck God even put us here because....we aren't good at anything! Well, I thank GOD for the person who made that statement to me...he said, "People need to know you.". Ok, if you know me, you know that is a statement definitely worthy of researching!! lol I had been praying and praying for God to just SHOW ME what it is! Why would people "need" to know who I am. So for the last several years there has hardly been a day go by that I haven't thought about that statement. I knew there had to be something to it for him to have said it, even though in my heart....I didn't believe it. I set out on a journey, this time with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart willing to receive the answers. Along the way I have had MANY people tell me, have had prophecies spoken over my life, and I have had prayers answered (that I have ignored)...that I needed to, and would be....writing. UGH! Do you know why I haven't started before now? Because writing is inconvenient (especially to someone with 3 jobs. lol), it's time consuming, and.....it never really was one of my favorite things to do :) I always made good grades in English, but make me write a paper and it would just stress me out! It was always the "getting started" part that gave me a pain I couldn't locate! But then, along the way, God has helped my simple little mind get started by just giving me a single word...coupled with some excellent advice another dear friend of mine, who is a master blogger, and writer, gave me....he said, "NEVER start at the beginning! Always start in the middle...from there the beginning and ending will just happen, they will work themselves out." What I wouldn't have done to have had that advice when I was in school!
Two things to point out here and then I'm done....God may be answering your prayers, you just might not be hearing Him (so STOP and listen!). God will often strategically place people in your life to give you answers, or tools for you to use on your personal journey! Or it might not be the answer(s) you were expecting (so prepare your heart to receive the unexpected!). Just remember that you AND your ENTIRE life were predestined by God....so don't ignore it and don't reject it just because YOU think you know what is best for you...because if you know God you know you don't have a clue :) He wants so much more for us than we could ever wrap our minds around, so stop fighting it. Prepare for and expect His BEST! You can box with God, but you won't win ♥ Secondly, stop stressing over your weaknesses and start focusing on your strengths. You will live a life of complete and utter frustration if you don't put your God-given energy in the right, predestined place(s). Just ask me. If you aren't sure what your strengths are....stop and listen to the people around you. What other people compliment you on the majority of the time, is more than likely the area(s) in which God has planned on using you, and using you mightily! My friend that gave me the advice on writing says it this way, "if you want to know what you are supposed to be doing...what is it that you complain about the most? If you complain about the worship team...you may be called to music ministry. If you complain when you see papers array and things not in order, you may be called to some type of administration, etc." Well my friends, I complain about BAD WRITING AND MISSPELLED WORDS! lol Just ask the teenagers I am around :) Ugh. I told them they had better thank God I wasn't their English teacher because they would not have graduated until they could write and spell adequately. I would have just kept on lovin' 'em until they could spell, or until I got fired for caring....whichever came first :)
Make 2011 a year that you stop fighting Him, and start surrendering to Him. He died so you could have His absolute best ♥
