Life has been a season of busy, crazy, survival mode at times, and major pruning. I have grown, messed up, focused on the wrong things, been pruned and overall taken some painful hits to shed some of me that needed to go. Basically, daily renewing my mind to focus. Focus on the right things. The path set out for me. It's gonna be different than the path set out for others.
Do you know how HARD that is to accept at times???
We have so many places to turn to...so many social media avenues...so many areas to compare ourselves to all in the good name of seeing how we measure up. What the heck?!?!?
It can be exhausting.
For the past two years, my church has asked us to lay down a few things in January for 21 Days. Given what I do (coaching people through 30 days of health and wellness) my initial thought was food. It's what most people do in regards to a fast. So...if everybody else is doing it, then I'm doing it too. NOPE. Your path, Lord. Not my own. Search my heart. What needs to go?
I got an answer. An answer I really didn't like.
NO SPENDING MONEY ON CONVENIENCE (insert the biggest emoji crying face here)!!!
Here's the deal. Pruning SUCKS. The whole process is not fun, BUT...what it produces is so, SO beautiful. And I need some pruning in this area.
Here's my story...
We moved into a home (that we are remodeling) about 4 months ago. We did this in the busiest season our family has ever known. I coped with some Jesus and some convenience. Sounds really Holy right? I mean, I mentioned I coped with Jesus, but did you catch it? I coped with SOME Jesus and SOME convenience. It's that SOME part that is the problem. God is not having me serve two masters, and over time that convenience thing kept winning out...making my life as easy as possible...comfortable...convenient. Even typing it doesn't sound THAT bad of a problem, except anything I'm seeking that isn't after God's own heart is surely going to end in some heartache for me...and those around me.
For the next 21 days, I'm stripping my convenient go-tos and replacing them with prayer. It is taking me some intentional looks inside WHY I feel overwhelmed and going to a place of refuge and heart searching by my One True King instead of searching for a way to solve my own problem. WHY? Because when I look to solve my own issues within my own means, it demonstrates an ugly part of my pride. And, THAT my friends, is a problem I need a doctor to fix...My doctor, Jesus (like kinda kidding, but mostly not on that).
A few little verses (among many) that I have focused on this week (and God is using to prune me)...
Matthew 9:12 For it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.
Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
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