I think I need one of those sweatshirts that says,
See, I like to think. A lot.
I'm in my head. A lot.
I enjoy figuring things out, analyzing, problem solving, predicting, calculating, planning, and trying to perfect strategies. It's like a hobby. Kind of.
It can, at times, be disappointing, when I have solved my personal issues, mended humanity's pain, and created world peace while sitting in traffic for 30 minutes....only to arrive at my destination and realize that it only happened in my mind.
Being someone who enjoys (or at least feels compelled) to mental gymnastics, I love the exhilaration that comes when I get that "light bulb" moment. There's something about figuring out a problem or issue that I've been wrestling with that just feels SO good!
Learning a lesson or solution or truth that I desperately need is satisfying and liberating and wonderful!
God knows this about me. In fact, I think He's the one that gave me the "figurer-outer" part of my brain, and it can be a really cool gift! (this blog probably exists because of it)
But there is a downside to that *ahem* gift, that I've been encountering lately. In fact, it might be the theme of my year so far. Are you ready?
I know.
It's been shocking to me too.
I have this tendency to "learn" something and then check it off my list. My brain figured it out, so obviously, we're done and don't need to linger on it any longer. Right?
In case you're wondering, this might work in the field of mathematics, but it doesn't work in the life growth journey thing.
There's this funny contradiction where I find myself in a place where I know I've already learned the lesson, I already know the truth, I've already been around this mountain a hundred times, and I'm still doing it wrong!
In that place, my brain can calculate FAILURE and start packing up the show faster than I can return to the truth (that I already learned) that I don't have to do it perfectly.
This is an exhausting cycle.
I write about it not because I enjoy flaunting my peculiarities, but because I have a hunch that someone can relate to this, and like me, you need a reminder of the truth.
See, God has been teaching me something really freeing.
(You'll notice I have NOT checked the "learned" box yet).
It has to do with the phrase, "the rubber hits the road."
It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up. And, well, let's just say it's been on my mind because I've had lots of opportunities to practice said concept.
In the past, I've placed the emphasis of that saying on the word rubber, as in, the strength and structure of the tires. But God, in His wonderful wisdom and humor, has been shifting my perspective.
See, if I move the emphasis from the word rubber, to the word road, it shifts the tone.
Hang with me. Here's what I mean:
A few seconds ago I wrote:
"It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up."
Now, when I wrote that, my brain emphasized it like this: "It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up."
Where's the emphasis?
"It's on that thing you [should have] [already] [expertly] learned a long time ago.."
With me so far?
Ok, now try it like this:
"It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up."
Where's the emphasis?
"(the thing you learned) is about to be [stretched] [taxed] [pressured] tested in real [new] [unfamiliar] life and [human] [vulnerable] you need it to hold up [support] [help] [assist] [save]."
My tendency is to emphasis my own ability to struggle through something and gain mastery. But that's just not life. That's a lie. My victory has only ever been won by Christ.
So those lessons that I have learned, figured out, and problem solved? They weren't mine in the first place. God gave them to me. And just like He gave them in the first place, He will be faithful to incorporate them into my being as I am transformed into the image of Christ.
Let me just speak some life for a second to anyone who is struggling for what seems like the umpteenth time with the "same" thing:
-You're not alone! You're actually a part of quite a large group of travelers who feel exhausted and discouraged by the journey at times. There is nothing wrong with you. The disconnect between knowledge and behavior isn't unique to you. You're quite human and that's ok.
-You've never been here before. This is a new stretch of road. I don't care how similar your circumstances or struggles seem to be, you are not the same person you were 3 years ago, or 30 years ago. What you are facing now is new and challenging. You may have learned how to win the last battle, but this one might require additional or different strategies because it's on a different battlefield. Be open to that.
- Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself permission to keep learning and never "check the box." Life is about a journey and a bigger picture. Your idea of "successful victory" might not be realistic, or even what God has in mind. Be kind to yourself when you fall short of your expectations. Besides, I've actually never been able to get up faster by kicking myself while I'm down, and I have a hunch you won't either.
My challenge to you is to ask yourself three questions:
1) what lessons or truths are being tested in my present circumstances?
2) how are my present circumstances different from past circumstances?
and finally,
3) how are the lessons and truths being tested differently in my present circumstances than they have been before?
I promise, if you grab a pen and paper and give yourself adequate time to invite God's input, you won't come up empty...And you might even come away encouraged!
"I'm sorry, I wasn't ignoring you,
I just got lost in the maze of my mind for a sec."
See, I like to think. A lot.
I'm in my head. A lot.
I enjoy figuring things out, analyzing, problem solving, predicting, calculating, planning, and trying to perfect strategies. It's like a hobby. Kind of.
It can, at times, be disappointing, when I have solved my personal issues, mended humanity's pain, and created world peace while sitting in traffic for 30 minutes....only to arrive at my destination and realize that it only happened in my mind.
Being someone who enjoys (or at least feels compelled) to mental gymnastics, I love the exhilaration that comes when I get that "light bulb" moment. There's something about figuring out a problem or issue that I've been wrestling with that just feels SO good!
Learning a lesson or solution or truth that I desperately need is satisfying and liberating and wonderful!
God knows this about me. In fact, I think He's the one that gave me the "figurer-outer" part of my brain, and it can be a really cool gift! (this blog probably exists because of it)
But there is a downside to that *ahem* gift, that I've been encountering lately. In fact, it might be the theme of my year so far. Are you ready?
Just because I have figured something out does not mean that I can do it perfectly.
I know.
It's been shocking to me too.
I have this tendency to "learn" something and then check it off my list. My brain figured it out, so obviously, we're done and don't need to linger on it any longer. Right?
In case you're wondering, this might work in the field of mathematics, but it doesn't work in the life growth journey thing.
There's this funny contradiction where I find myself in a place where I know I've already learned the lesson, I already know the truth, I've already been around this mountain a hundred times, and I'm still doing it wrong!
In that place, my brain can calculate FAILURE and start packing up the show faster than I can return to the truth (that I already learned) that I don't have to do it perfectly.
This is an exhausting cycle.
I write about it not because I enjoy flaunting my peculiarities, but because I have a hunch that someone can relate to this, and like me, you need a reminder of the truth.
See, God has been teaching me something really freeing.
(You'll notice I have NOT checked the "learned" box yet).
It has to do with the phrase, "the rubber hits the road."
It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up. And, well, let's just say it's been on my mind because I've had lots of opportunities to practice said concept.
In the past, I've placed the emphasis of that saying on the word rubber, as in, the strength and structure of the tires. But God, in His wonderful wisdom and humor, has been shifting my perspective.
See, if I move the emphasis from the word rubber, to the word road, it shifts the tone.
Hang with me. Here's what I mean:
A few seconds ago I wrote:
"It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up."
Now, when I wrote that, my brain emphasized it like this: "It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up."
Where's the emphasis?
"It's on that thing you [should have] [already] [expertly] learned a long time ago.."
With me so far?
Ok, now try it like this:
"It's that saying that means that the thing you learned a long time ago is about to be tested in real life and you need it to hold up."
Where's the emphasis?
"(the thing you learned) is about to be [stretched] [taxed] [pressured] tested in real [new] [unfamiliar] life and [human] [vulnerable] you need it to hold up [support] [help] [assist] [save]."
Do you see what I mean?
My tendency is to emphasis my own ability to struggle through something and gain mastery. But that's just not life. That's a lie. My victory has only ever been won by Christ.
So those lessons that I have learned, figured out, and problem solved? They weren't mine in the first place. God gave them to me. And just like He gave them in the first place, He will be faithful to incorporate them into my being as I am transformed into the image of Christ.
The rubber is, and will continue to be in the testing & perfecting stage this side of Heaven. This means that there may be a lot of pit stops along the highway. That's ok. The emphasis is not on performance for a few miles, but on endurance in the journey.
The road is long and ever changing. I will never be in the same place twice, nor will I be the same person around ever bend. This means that the terrain will ever be unfamiliar, and ever be a test for the rubber.
The road is long and ever changing. I will never be in the same place twice, nor will I be the same person around ever bend. This means that the terrain will ever be unfamiliar, and ever be a test for the rubber.
Let me just speak some life for a second to anyone who is struggling for what seems like the umpteenth time with the "same" thing:
-You're not alone! You're actually a part of quite a large group of travelers who feel exhausted and discouraged by the journey at times. There is nothing wrong with you. The disconnect between knowledge and behavior isn't unique to you. You're quite human and that's ok.
-You've never been here before. This is a new stretch of road. I don't care how similar your circumstances or struggles seem to be, you are not the same person you were 3 years ago, or 30 years ago. What you are facing now is new and challenging. You may have learned how to win the last battle, but this one might require additional or different strategies because it's on a different battlefield. Be open to that.
- Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself permission to keep learning and never "check the box." Life is about a journey and a bigger picture. Your idea of "successful victory" might not be realistic, or even what God has in mind. Be kind to yourself when you fall short of your expectations. Besides, I've actually never been able to get up faster by kicking myself while I'm down, and I have a hunch you won't either.
The hilarious thing about this blog post, is that these are truths that God has been teaching me for a very long time, and yet I still blunder the practice of them often. So I need the reminder constantly myself! Ironic, huh?
My challenge to you is to ask yourself three questions:
1) what lessons or truths are being tested in my present circumstances?
2) how are my present circumstances different from past circumstances?
and finally,
3) how are the lessons and truths being tested differently in my present circumstances than they have been before?
I promise, if you grab a pen and paper and give yourself adequate time to invite God's input, you won't come up empty...And you might even come away encouraged!
After all, you're miles beyond where you were last time.
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
- Philippians 1:6
- Philippians 1:6
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
- 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
"For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."
- Hebrews 10:14
- Hebrews 10:14
"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
-Hebrews 13:20-21
