Notes on Returning No. 8
Location: Wolf Pen Creek Park, College Station, TX
This week I posted on Instagram how a person should never stop dreaming. If they don’t like where they are, move - they are not a tree. It had an overwhelming response from comments, laughs and DMs. It’s true though. If you don’t like things the way they are, you can change them. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it feels like you do not have power or resources. But, if you look long and hard enough and depend not on your own understanding, the good Lord will help you find a way out. The truth is, complacency is the opposite of purpose. When you live inside your purpose, even the dull days are rewarding. If you are finding yourself bored, flat or even directionless it’s probably time to re-evaluate things.
Maybe it’s the job you dread every single day, but it pays good enough money that it’s hard for you to let it go and take a risk. Maybe it’s that situation ship you are in with your boyfriend or girlfriend. They accept you as is, but you aren’t experiencing any real growth. In fact, if you are being honest with yourself your main state of being daily is apathy. Apathy seems easier than starting over. You know if you leave this job or this relationship or both, you may have to work pretty hard again and it’s easy right now. Plus, you’ve invested all of this time… why quit now? Truth be told, it’s a pain both ways. If you stay, you continue a road of complacency and if you leave, it’s downright scary.
Nothing great ever happens in the comfort zone. God talks about it in the bible, but He stretches and refines us with pressure and heat. I am living proof. What I thought would break me, only was better once I made it through the wilderness period. The wildnerness is pretty tough, but so what? At least it’s exciting. I truly believe it’s better to be absolutely struggling, but feeling alive than to be stuck. Stuck sucks. Stuck keeps you in loops and patterns that aren’t helping you, the Lord or your purpose here on Earth. Stuck is like molasses. It’s thick and seems sweet but has a weird aftertaste and doesn’t mix well with many other flavors. Molasses is limited. I’ve been baking for years and the only thing I can think of that I use it in includes gingerbread. Do you really want to continue to represent molasses? It’s basically tree sap.
How do you get out of it? Well, prayer helps. Psalm 46:10 is the verse that’s helped me the most - “Be still and know that I am God.” The word still (as mentioned previously on this blog) means to surrender. You have to surrender what you’re doing to get out of the sticky molasses life you’ve slowly ended up in. The Lord will show you a way out. A way that is best for everyone involved. A way to feel alive again and moving forward. You were created for more. More richness in your life, your relationships and your purpose. If you are struggling with any of this - Authentically Made will help. It will help you let go of what’s keeping you stuck and open up a whole world of purpose. You were made for something so much bigger than you realize. It’s time… you can do this… take one baby step out of it.
