3 Things Letting Go Has Taught Me

I recently had to let something precious to me go. I had to relinquish it. You can probably guess that it was difficult... It was the kind of thing that you just know, will be with you for sometime to come. I labored over the decision for longer than I'd even realized. It was something I had considered, but just didn't see how it was the right decision, not right now. So, like always, I postponed the inevitable by doing nothing. You know how it is. When you want something to work so badly, that you just keep hanging on to the bull, even though it's jamming your body into the side rails... that's how this was for me. I knew the '8 second' horn would sound at any moment, so I just ignored the pain of being slammed around by something much more powerful than myself. I couldn't let go.

Toxicity

You know, things can get toxic really quickly when we hang on to things we need to release. One ailment left untreated, can spawn into all kinds of weakness & wreak havoc on otherwise healthy life situations. As with anything life dishes... I tried to learn, to grow. I began asking, what is my lesson in all this? How should this situation translate into my complete life, my total being? See I firmly believe that everything that happens in my life, holds some spiritual gleanings that I can partake of for future benefit. I bet you think the same about your life. It's true. Even when we've gotta let go of somethings, some ones, some dreams... some... fill in the blank. We may not always be able to change the whys, but, we can usually gather enough from the whos, whats, whens, wheres & whys, to reap some benefit.

Who Am I

The decision I had to make, to let go, was essentially made for me in this case, it had become a
'no-brainer.' After making it though, I still, began to question my confidence. I knew it was right...but that 'good ole devil' just won't let you off the hook sometimes! So, as I sought some (more) confirmation, I was taken to Exodus 6:10 & 11 which say: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." I'll admit.. I was more confused. How does this respond to my situation? Who am I? However, as I meditated on these words spoken originally to Moses, they began to speak to me. I got it. In this, God was telling me two things about the 'one' thing...

I AM MOSES.... I AM PHARAOH

I am the voice that cries out for the freedom of others &... the voice

 that demands they be chained. I am both the slave... & the slave master.
OUCH!!

 

I know it sounds a little loopy. But the word teaches that there are none righteous, not one. So we can expect that in any given situation, not all of our actions will be pure. In this instance, I had made the right choice, to let go, BUT, I needed to see myself as both advocate & antagonist. My decision was timely, but I had to recognize that I played a healthy part in causing the 'thing' to become toxic in the first place. I had to become transparent with myself.

 

What Should I Do Now

 

What now? How should I proceed? Should I hurriedly try to alter the outcome, no. I couldn't change it. And even if I could, I wouldn't because, others were affected also & the final decision, suited every one's best interest, including my own. Obviously, I had to repent.  To confess before God my conflictedness. I was guilty. And then to ask for my redemption in that. What else was I to do? All that's left at this point, are those '5 W's' (who, what, when, where, why) and those 2 tiny little verses. What could God show me through them?

 

The 3 Things Letting Go Taught Me

 

1. 'The Lord Said'

     I, need to listen to God. This is kind of obvious, but

     deserves mention as it is easy to forget this sometimes. Or at least it is for me.

 

2. 'to Moses(& me)... tell the king'...

     I am to be the spokesman for the prisoners, for justice

 

3.  'Pharaoh(& me)...let the Israelites go'...

     I must release ANY & Every thing that I'm holding captive, they belong to God! I must let go!

Yet Another Reminder

It's easy to forget that Jesus died for my grace too. That until he returns, I'm still, guilty of being the oppressor. And that even as I try to be a voice of one crying out in the wilderness...at times I'm still in, the wilderness. How often do we truly reflect on the fact that in every breath we took before meeting Christ, we needed the cross... and still, in every breath after? I'd love to extend the subject passage to show how easy it was going forward for Moses & Pharaoh, but if you know the rest of this account, you'd know it was a lie. Actually, both of these guys faced terrible hardships ahead. So I'm neither saying that letting go is easy to do, nor that it will make your path forward easy. My hope is that this would remind you and me, to self evaluate often. Because I think we could all say we've been the slave owner, the slave spokesman, and even, the slave at various times in our lives, sometimes simultaneously.

Know yourself. Live balanced. Remember what you see in the mirror. It's your and my only opportunity toward real change.

 

Questions: Have you ever felt as though you held such conflicting roles?

                   What factors did you use to determine that letting go was the right option?

 

Hopefully this helps the growth within, come out
 

Rodney

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Aged Lenses

As I get older, I start seeing life through different lenses. I no longer hold the same frustrations, desires and even some of the dreams that I did when I was younger. I don't consider myself 'old' by any means, at least not on the days that don't involve playing pick up basketball with guys ten years younger than me for one too many games...but... I am aging... if we're lucky, we all are. In reflecting on where I was 5, 10, 15 years back, I can see tremendous amounts of ground gained in my life as a whole.

My character, attitude, desires, financially, relationally, spiritually. The list is near endless.

 I'm a complete different person. I take no credit for any of it, it's all by the grace of God. I'm also no different than most when it comes to the subject of becoming 'seasoned', I too can be concerned about it.

As Billy Graham is quoted "Growing old has been one of the greatest surprises of my life."

I would agree! You never sit back and think, man one day I'm going to be 'this' age. It just happens. So the fear of it is something real, something we have no control over. And it's intimidating. So the real concern is not over what could happen if you grow old, rather it is what will happen when you grow old, the Lord willing.

Of course we all hope to be able to look back at our lives and say, I lived well, made forward movements and am overall pleased with the way my life played out. But in reality, there's a whole slew of us, that can't do that. We've procrastinated, chosen poorly and failed miserably & are either just getting things on track or have yet to begin to do so. I can relate to that. I not only have the
t-shirt, I'm an owner of  the brand. But it's never too late, is it. What's worse is that there are always people around us that have their lives so snug upon the tracks that it all looks seamless. How can you measure up to that? You can't.

I aim to say that if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord, you don't have to feel the taunting of neither the past or the future. When you were younger or getting older. In fact, the bible has some great promises to those that are gaining in years. I would like to share a few with you today and I hope that they might encourage you, whatever your age.

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. 

 

Psalm 71:16-18

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come.

 

Psalm 92:12-15

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

 

 

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass, the more clearly we should see through it."

-Jean Paul Sartre

 

 

"It is not true that people stop pursuing their dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing their dreams."

-Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 

 

What thoughts do you have about aging?

 

Hope this blesses you. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

Two Hands on the Wheel

It was raining rather heavily as I drove home from work the other day. I know it's not 'proper' technique but I'm a usual one-handed driver. It's most comfortable to me. But every now and again when it is raining really bad, I get a nervousness in my stomach that prompts the need to put both hands on the wheel... in preparation for the unknown. To have better control when I need it. Today was one of those times when I needed that extra security. I had to put both hands on the wheel.

I, also get distracted like most anyone else while driving, and sometimes get a little too familiar when on my regularly traveled paths. Too at ease. As I latched onto the steering wheel this time for some reason, I noticed a shift.

My focus on my immediate situation & the requirements of it, re-aligned.
I felt more aware... more in control.

I don't know about you but everyday things like this, often point me to a deeper truth about life as a whole. So as I took notice of this enhancement of my awareness, I began to wonder how this concept of 'putting both hands on the wheel', applied on a larger spectrum... and what affect such heightening, could likewise have on my life in general. 

What I Discovered 

 

What I discovered, was that most of us get familiar, like I do driving, in many areas of life. And that familiarity can sometimes cause us to be careless & out of tune with the gravity of what we're trying to accomplish. This naturally leads to ineffectiveness, poor motivation, & obviously, less than ideal progress toward our goals. Really, what it boils down to, is that our commitment is not where it should be. We're partially invested. We wouldn't dare trust our hard earned money to people that we observed to be half-hearted about bringing us a solid return, would we? So why do we do the same in areas of our own lives, half commit? After all, our life itself is an investment in the lives of those around us. It doesn't matter how selfish a person is, no one lives solely for themselves. No one. Whether we realize it or not, our lives have impact beyond us. Don't they deserve for us to have both hands on the wheel?  

Even Greats Re-focus
 

In scripture we have many examples of people, just like you and me, who had these same moments to re-commitment, to re-align, & re-invest themselves. I think of guys like Isaiah who said 'woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips' when he found himself face to face with the one he thought he knew, only to now recognize that He is even greater & deserves even more respect than Isaiah had once thought. Or Jonah, who after first running,in the end, realized that following God was what he signed on to do to begin with & that calling others closer to Him is the whole point of that. How about Peter , who in the midst of a routine trip across a sea, something he would have done many times before as a fisherman, finds himself unsure about his current position in life, re-aligning by asking to do something even more improbable, walking on water. And then there is Jesus himself... He encountered his moment to conquer the mundane prior to his arrest, when he prayed in the garden. Life was what it was. He had launched a movement that not only challenged traditional thinking but that also provided answers to combat it. He'd attracted a following that social media of today can never compete with. In fact His followers are STILL increasing in count today! Yet, when it came to moving to the next level in his life purpose, he had to pray ,multiple times, in order to get his feet to be aimed in the same direction as his heart. All of these men were on personally familiar roads. Comfortable paths.

 

Getting Uncomfortable

These people all did what we're talking about here. In the crucial, uneasy moments of their lives, when they could have just kept doing the same old thing because they were used to it...they chose, instead, to put two hands in the wheel... To allow their focus concerning their life to be re-synced with the purpose of the one who called them.

 

They re-aligned their thoughts & actions towards

what mattered most. At that very moment.

  
Friends, your life and the lives around you, deserve your full commitment. They deserve your focus and dedication regardless of how comfortable the road has become to you. My aim is to get uncomfortable enough in this sometimes unfavorable weather of life, to the point that it causes me to put both hands on the wheel. To prepare for the unknown. Because at any moment I could hit a slick spot that spins me out of control. Or maybe even worse, the person in the 'life lane' next to me might loose control and collide with me in the process. 

 

What about you? Have you ever gotten too comfortable? If so, how did you re-align with your ultimate purpose?

Hopefully this helps the growth within, come out

Rodney

References: Isaiah 6, Jonah 2, Matthew 14 & 26

A poem I wrote

 

 

 

Flames dancing with the wind,

In a genre all to themselves.

Outlining fluidity.

Comforting...Hostile...Powerful...Fragile.

Contained when in sync,

The motion of motions.

Creating magnificent landscapes in their wake,

That are either desirable or disastrous.

For chaos ensues when the two are at odds,

The steps become unrecognizably common.

Such that even an amateur could do.

Selfishly they violently attempt to separate,

Leaving permanent reminders of destruction.

Though when looking through the Creator's eyes,

There's purpose, even hope.

Whether the waltz performed will,

Add land mass allowing for expansion,

Or for...creating distance...

We, will decide. 

 

 

RELATIONSHIPS

 

When Doing Right Fails You and 4 Tactics To Adjusting

Over a decade ago, I neglected what should have been a close relationship. For several years I took it for granted and didn't dedicate myself to it. Needless to say, it was virtually non-existent as a result.  Thankfully, I eventually saw my error and what I was missing & what I was withholding from the other person. So I began to revisit that relationship. To spend time, energy, and focus on the other individual. To truly be available to them. Granted, I didn't do it perfectly, I did however, make an effort. Yet, some 12 years later, that relationship is still not in ideal health.... Of course, the whole 'me not being perfect' and the 'it takes two' philosophy, both factor in but.....

I've done right longer than wrong.... I've done right for over a decade now, yet, I've failed to be able to develop the relationship into what it should be...  

Now by done everything 'right', I don't mean perfect, righteously, or without mistake...... We're not perfect. And there are often others involved in a given life situation, that aren't perfect either, and 2 imperfects, well they don't make a right either.  So by right, I mean, you've done the best you knew how.  I wrote here about how discipline alone will lead to failure without focus.  I would add to that, that losing doesn't make you a failure....quitting does. And that's what focus provides, a reason..not.. to quit. 

I'm naturally self-competitive and I can recall from my sport playing days, losing a game. Sure the scoreboard didn't lean in my favor but I still learned so much from my mistakes, that the next game... I outperformed even my own expectations. So, know, even losing, can bring you to success..................................................................................................................................................

In scripture the Apostle Paul is a wonderful icon for many a lesson and he drives home this idea of 'doing right', but still failing from his pre-conversion life. He loved God. He was highly studied in the old testament writings, yet somehow he missed the heart connection needed, to know Jesus. To see those Old Testament writings in the flesh.... before his very eyes. See, his doing right by the law of tradition caused him to do wrong according to the law of the kingdom that Jesus taught. 

In the end his most valiant effort to preserve God...... resulted in him literally attempting to destroy the very purpose of God...... the church... His idea of 'doing right' couldn't have been further from it. I've been there too. And I bet you have also. 

So what do you do when you realize that your best effort has been harming you all along?  That your 'doing right' has been doing wrong? 

Paul provides the answers in Galatians Chapter One as he summarizes his experience. It's in this text that we find 4 Tactics that will help you re-route your course when your best attempts have proven futile.

We must allow ourselves to be:

1.  Re-positioned 

     Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace." You must place your perspective back on what He has spoken over your life, your 'call'.

2.  Re-assigned 

     Galatians 1:16 "....that I might preach Him(Christ) among the gentiles." Paul used to preach 'law' among the Israelites but now he claims his assignment to be to preach Christ among the 'heathen' which in his case (& maybe yours), was polar opposite of what he was doing before.

3. Re-educated

     Galatians 1:18 "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days."  Although Paul was well educated in Jewish custom, he thought it necessary to be re-taught (by more seasoned disciples) on this new 'Christianity' that he fought against so diligently but now was a member of. Verse 17 also hints to Paul spending 3 years in Damascus, undoubtedly for some training as well. You too must re-learn when you hit a wall.

4. Re-launched

    Galatians 1:21-22 "Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ." This one is key. Paul was sent in a completely different direction than what was familiar to him.  Sometimes we too must allow ourselves to be given a different perspective in order to make our efforts more effective.

I would also note that none of these, do we do for ourselves. It is only by the power of God that any of it is possible.  The idea that perfection doesn't exist in our world,  is a lie. It does. In the mind..... In my mind, I ALWAYS have the perfect golf swing! The challenge is that the mind itself is not perfect, it's tarnished as well. My mentally perfect is not yours and vice versa. So, we must stop living in the 'reality' of our minds, and start living in the reality of God's mind....his word. One sure way to achieve this is to simply backtrack when the inevitable roadblocks of life arise, see where you find yourself in light of scripture & touch these 4 bases. And whether we've missed the mark completely or thought we were doing the 'right' thing, we'll get back on track a lot sooner. 

How about you? When has doing what is traditionally considered right, caused you to fail?

What steps do you take to evaluate and correct your failures?

Hopefully this helps the growth within, come out

Rodney  

Success In 2015 And The One Thing You Must Wait On

So, it's a new year. 2015, I can hardly believe it! Time waits for no one, right. My guess is that you've been bombarded lately through news and social media, friends, family, and even in your jobs with the tradition of new year's resolutions. Which is why I held off on this post, to avoid joining the overwhelming voices. Whether or not setting resolutions is productive is arguable. One report shows that less than ten percent of people actually follow through with their aspirations each year. Those that actually attain their wishes would be advocates, those that don't, would not. Which is probably most of us and why it's debatable. My second guess, would be that you've either decided on some of your very own and are gung-ho about them! Or, you've failed at them enough in the past, that you just don't see the point and are therefore strongly against the idea. Either way, you're not alone.

On one of the blogs I follow the author has been posting a lot about resolutions.  And the very fact, that most of us that do set them, often fail.. And yet, we continue year in, and year out, to set...more. Doesn't really make sense. Does it? Michael proposes something I agree with. He states that instead of resolutions, we should be... setting goals. And while the two can sound quite equatable, they are indeed different creatures altogether.

Resolutions: These are normally internally focused desires. They typically have vain, surface level fulfilments in general. And most importantly, they are often "wish lists" at best.

Goals: These should consist of internal desires that will propel you in a given area of life that will ultimately help you become better for others... in the process.

What's more is that resolutions are usually never physically visualized, goals must be. What I mean by this is that goals should not remain in our minds. We should write them down, make a plan, and implement that plan...adjusting as needed along the way. As Eisenhower is quoted "The plan is nothing but planning is everything." We must be flexible while working our plan, but we must, plan. Planning does many things for us, one of the most important is, it naturally creates a step-by-step process that we can measure our progress against.

All that said, I know you've been slammed with resolution requests and such. So I'm not going to ask you to do either... set goals or set resolutions. I, want to discourage you in regards to 2015... and then... encourage you. I believe this familiar passage of scripture will help us consisely valuate the true reality of both approaches to the new year.

Isaiah 40:31 reads as follows:

but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

My Discouragement For You

Let's look at this text a bit differently than we usually do.

In 2015 There Will Be Times When:

1.You will walk.
    Progress at this stage is slow, long, continuous & often laborious.

2. You will run.
     This includes both running to beneficial avenues & running from things or people that just don't help move you closer to your ideal path forward.

3. You will have cause to soar
     Situations might happen, where you must rise above, choose the high road, be the bigger person.

4.  You will have no more strength
      There's a great probability that life in this coming year may weaken you at some point.

In case you're depressed yet too, let me say, I lean on the thinking that one of the most beautiful aspects of scripture is that in the very same passage that you find such discouragement, you can also find hope! Remember, I said I also wanted to encourage you(:

My Encouragement For You

When we read this passage traditionally, we can clearly see what our benefits are.

1. Progress may be slow at times, but you'll have the endurance to keep going.

2. At times you'll cover more ground... by running. Note that this running won't be arduous to the point of weariness. It sounds like it will be revitalizing.

3. An eagle is a predator. They hunt. So a main benefit of them being in flight is... vision, perspective. You will be able to see what you need for sustenance from an angle of attainability.

4. Though you find yourself weak, your strength won't run out, it will be re-filled!

Every year holds successes & failures, triumphs & tragedies, aspirations & accomplishments. While you're on this planet there will never be one that doesn't. So again, I'm not asking you to set goals or resolutions. I would urge you to consider though, that whether you give the two thought or not, there are inherent things that are on your agenda for 2015, some of which will be inadvertent, some that must be pursued. So if you'd like things to work out in your favor... being proactive is always the way to go. Lastly, I would point out the obvious pre-condition to the points of encouragement. It's found at the beginning of this verse... but they that wait upon the LORD....  

See everyone will face the discouragements this new year but only those that have relationship with Jesus, will experience the promised encouragements/success. So regardless of how you label your hopes for 2015, true progress can only be achieved through Him. Your goal/resolution this year, make it waiting on the Lord, and I'd be willing to bet that any others you should have will not only be revealed, they'll likely come to pass. I'll be praying for you in 2015!

How do resolutions and goals differ to you? 

Helping the growth within, come out

Rodney