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| I AM CHANGED |
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| My baptism 1/29/12 most important "Change" moment in my life |
Today I was thinking about CHANGE...man I used to fear that word and everything associated with it. To CHANGE meant to get uncomfortable and step outside my box. The thing is, my box used to contains items such as, laziness, excuses, bad habits, poor decision making, and a bunch of darkness. Isn’t it funny how that box did not contain anything good but it seemed easier to stay put? I have been told that people don’t change until they get uncomfortable enough with their current situation that they are forced to change. Even bad things can seem more comfortable but only because you get used to it. Soon you are living in a vicious cycle of darkness feeding darkness and bad feeding bad; but hey to change means to challenge yourself and step out of your zone. In order to do that it would take effort! Why not wait until you have no choice but to move in a different direction because you are so dang miserable? So why even try…right? WRONG!
My most favorite thing now is to feel uncomfortable. I learned that if I am facing my fears and challenging myself into a positive direction it is not going to feel good at first. In fact, in most cases, it just plain sucks…a LOT. But the end result is so triumphant and glorious! Knowing I overcame something is one of the biggest joys in my life!
For example…I recently took up swimming, and no not for the joy of the water. See, I had this grand idea to sign up for a triathlon. Very quickly I realized that not sinking and moving from point A to point B in the water is not at all the same thing as swimming. Not only that…I am terrified of the water and the whole act of swimming itself…I have no idea why but it just freaks me out. I get water up my nose, I choke, I think I am gonna drown, and I do not like it one bit! I am there most every day feeling EXTREMELY uncomfortable, snorting up water, choking, exhausting myself, and let me tell you, it’s so scary…every time! But I do it anyway! And guess what? I am actually swimming! I am definitely not at any kind of Olympic caliber swimmer but…I will be completing my first Sprint Triathlon next weekend, and I will have my glorious moment when I cross the finish line! And I would not be having that moment had I listened to my initial fears the day I walked away from the pool in tears afraid. Had I not gone back the very next day and made myself do it and then sought out help from friends, I would have walked right back into that dang old “box of darkness.” But I refused to feed my fears and lock myself back in that box and decided to overcome it instead.
This is just one recent example…CHANGE is CONSTANT and in all areas of life. And I think it is important that you know, I did not do this alone and I certainly do not deserve all the credit here. It is by the grace of God and his Divine appointments in my life that, not only did I step outside of the “box of darkness” and into the light of the TRUTH...But I don’t even live in a box anymore. I am free! Full of light and joy and it is all because of God! He gave me the strength to CHANGE…what an amazing GLORIOUS THING! CHANGE…man I love that word. Because to change means to grow and to grow means to overcome and to overcome means immense joy! So I say to you…if you fear change or prefer comfort over joy…don’t just step into it and accept it, anyone can accept change and say they are ok with it…but to me that is still staying in your box….GET UNCOMFORTABLE! TACKLE CHANGE…FACE IT…REVEL IN ITS DISCOMFORT AND OVERCOME ALL THAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK! I did! So can you!
Blessings!
XOXO
~Jes
Joshua 1:9
My most favorite thing now is to feel uncomfortable. I learned that if I am facing my fears and challenging myself into a positive direction it is not going to feel good at first. In fact, in most cases, it just plain sucks…a LOT. But the end result is so triumphant and glorious! Knowing I overcame something is one of the biggest joys in my life!
For example…I recently took up swimming, and no not for the joy of the water. See, I had this grand idea to sign up for a triathlon. Very quickly I realized that not sinking and moving from point A to point B in the water is not at all the same thing as swimming. Not only that…I am terrified of the water and the whole act of swimming itself…I have no idea why but it just freaks me out. I get water up my nose, I choke, I think I am gonna drown, and I do not like it one bit! I am there most every day feeling EXTREMELY uncomfortable, snorting up water, choking, exhausting myself, and let me tell you, it’s so scary…every time! But I do it anyway! And guess what? I am actually swimming! I am definitely not at any kind of Olympic caliber swimmer but…I will be completing my first Sprint Triathlon next weekend, and I will have my glorious moment when I cross the finish line! And I would not be having that moment had I listened to my initial fears the day I walked away from the pool in tears afraid. Had I not gone back the very next day and made myself do it and then sought out help from friends, I would have walked right back into that dang old “box of darkness.” But I refused to feed my fears and lock myself back in that box and decided to overcome it instead.
This is just one recent example…CHANGE is CONSTANT and in all areas of life. And I think it is important that you know, I did not do this alone and I certainly do not deserve all the credit here. It is by the grace of God and his Divine appointments in my life that, not only did I step outside of the “box of darkness” and into the light of the TRUTH...But I don’t even live in a box anymore. I am free! Full of light and joy and it is all because of God! He gave me the strength to CHANGE…what an amazing GLORIOUS THING! CHANGE…man I love that word. Because to change means to grow and to grow means to overcome and to overcome means immense joy! So I say to you…if you fear change or prefer comfort over joy…don’t just step into it and accept it, anyone can accept change and say they are ok with it…but to me that is still staying in your box….GET UNCOMFORTABLE! TACKLE CHANGE…FACE IT…REVEL IN ITS DISCOMFORT AND OVERCOME ALL THAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK! I did! So can you!
Blessings!
XOXO
~Jes
Joshua 1:9
I was thinking about CHANGE this morning, even before I read this. My conclusion was YES, some say "a leopard can't change it's spots" , but I disagree. Where there is a GOD (and there IS), there IS a WAY, per HIS WILL. I find the change that I need to implement doesn't look like my writing out MY plan, but following HIS plan, which usually means being still, silent, knowing HE is GOD and then HE leads my steps. He drops that manna into my hands, gently, like the rain. :D XO
ReplyDeleteI read your story today in church and was very moved. congrats to you in finding God. I have heard your name many times threw mutual friends so when the pastor mentioned your name I was kind of surprised because I have alway heard nothing but good things about you. But anyways congrats and remember we can never really be ourselfs without Jesus in our life.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jesse :)
ReplyDelete