You can only change YOU

I first started with the title of Closing the Cracks, but then decided to change it to what it is now. The closing the cracks is part of the blog, but not all of it. My journal time over the last couple of weeks has been precious. I will be sharing more of that soon as God finishes writing the blogs He has started. I didn't start out to be a writer, actually in school I was more of "the talker" of the group. Just ask my elementary school teachers :-) I laugh every time I have to ask any student to be quiet, because I was that student. My comfort zone keeps me behind the computer. It is the place where I feel like I can say what's on my heart without having to actually "say it". He's working on the talking in front of adults, but I'm not there yet. I still get nervous, just ask my webinar participants.

So where am I headed with this blog....in short be YOU. I'm not talking about the YOU that someone else thinks you should be, the YOU someone else pressures you to be, but the YOU God made you to be. Too many times we try to be every YOU we can think of except the YOU God made us and called us to be. Happiness is found when you realize who that YOU is. Once you realize who that YOU is, realize that you can only change that you. You can't change how someone treats you. You can only change how you react to it and how you treat others(including that person). You can't change the words someone says about you or to you. You can only change the words you speak about others and to people. You can't change how the day goes, but you can change how you handle what happens during the day. You can't change how others see you, but you can change how you see yourself. See where I'm headed? Too many times we try to change others and forget to look in the mirror. We set out on a journey to lose weight so that someone else will look at us and see the weight loss. We set out on a journey to climb the ladder of success and work non stop so that someone will notice and give us a pat on the back. We set out on a journey to fix those around us and give them "advice" and we don't see what we need to change about ourselves.

Have a heart to heart conversation with God and ask Him what needs to change in your life. Be ready for the answers and don't expect them to be what you want to hear. So many times we go through our day handling the stress and frustration to the best of our abilities and we forget one thing...we don't have to rely on our strength. So many times God tells us what to do, where to keep our focus, and even how to keep it there, but we reason it or excuse it away. We set our day up and even crack the door for the enemy to come right on into our day. Ask God where the cracks are in your life. These are not necessarily sins, but areas of your life where your flesh takes over, areas where you are weak, and maybe even areas where you know you need to make a change, but you'll "do that tomorrow". It's time to make a change and take things to the next level. There is a new season on the other side. God will reward your time and it will not be in vain. Any time you ask Him one of those heart changing questions, He gently shows you the answers and gives you the strength you need to make the change. Ask Him and then listen for when He answers.

I got to the point last week where I finally said okay God show me. He was faithful and did exactly what I asked. His revelation is not the hard part, making the commitment to yourself and Him to seal up those cracks one at a time is where it gets difficult. He walks each step of the way with you and from what I have seen personally, the pieces start falling into place. There is a peace that words cannot express yet. The cracks are different for each person. I almost typed mine out here, but I don't want to give anyone examples just yet. Spend that time with Him asking Him where yours are. Then as He answers, take note, grab the duct tape and seal up the cracks. The enemy may have a plan for your day, but sweet reader my God has a purpose! Let Him show you what that is. Trust Him with the pieces of the day, after all He has the box lid and knows what the big picture looks like.

Don't let fear hold you back from being the you God has called you to be. There will be details of the day that don't make sense, but God has a purpose. Let Him line up your priorities. Stay focused on what He has called you to do and who He has called you to be. The enemy will distract you every chance he can. Ask God to see your day through His eyes so you can start to tell where the distractions, bumps, cracks are in the day. Then do your part to take care of them and God will do the rest. Oh the blog He will write when I am on the other side of these sealing process for this set of cracks. It is just that a process and God's on His timetable, not mine ;-) God's up to something new...can you feel it? Change is coming! He's doing a new thing trust Him! Just because it may feel like Winter again, it is still Spring!

Focused on the journey
~Melissa