Change and Growth

Change and growth

In life, change is inevitable. You may not be the one initiating the change, but there will always be things around you that cause you to change. I have also learned that not every change equals growth. Growths requires self awareness, selflessness and patience. 

Children are a good reason to bring about change in our lives. Prior to kids being the bosses of us in a house, we used to be the bosses of our lives. Sleep whenever, eat whenever, and do whatever we felt like doing. Then children show up and show us who the real boss is. Your phone will consist of not only your alarm reminders but theirs as well. Your fridge will have your food and theirs. Your shopping will involve buying whatever they need because tantrums are inevitable. If you were one to keep a good budget, forget about it when you have a child (unless you don't go shopping with your child) which is smart but so cruel...fyi. 

However, kids teach us who we are, who we have the potential to be and how we have to change regardless of our own desires. We have to be welcoming of change and embrace it, fighting change only leads to more problems. 

The little one had to get her dental appointment scheduled so, I had multiple alarms for that, as well as took a picture of the reminder the pediatric dental care sent us. I don't remember at what point the change got to me, but I have eventually learned to adjust my life to accommodate another human being who is not fully independent. It's not easy, it takes baby steps, but it's doable. Change that leads to growth is the best thing that can happen to any human being.

Is it Fight or Flight or Pray and Praise

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When you have been through a good amount of traumatic events in your life, your perception of things change. You no longer operate on FIGHT or FLIGHT mode but PRAY and PRAISE mode. Life knows how not to give us a break (at least not a long enough break). It is warfare, not because you are a great sinner and so you are being punished, NO! Life just happens because either God is allowing you to move to the next level in your spiritual walk where you no longer fight or flight during what looks like a valley of shadow of death, but you praise your way out to the next stage in your life. 

I have learned to trust God for good things that happen in my life. I have seen God's miracles. I have experienced God's message through dreams, songs, sermons, conversations, gut feeling and even a voice, His voice. But every time I or someone I love goes through trials, it wares me out. The thought of the injustice taking place has caused me to sin in my mind so many times. Yet God reminds me to FORGIVE. When I think maybe I should be on a warfare prayer, my spirit remembers me of a PRAISE or WORSHIP song. It has come to a point where I am learning to be awake, to realize warfare is a promotion - win or loss. When we are faced with trouble, we wish for things to go our way. But we don't realize that even when they don't go our way, especially when we surrender the situation to God (when we don't try to bring vengeance on our trouble makers) and say GOD YOUR WILL BE DONE. Then we should be prepared for either outcome. Eventually, His 'will' will be done and His plans for us are good, no scratch that, are perfect! He will give us what will work out for us in the long run. 

If you operate in this mindset of knowing warfare is inevitable to a Christian with a desire to grow spiritually, as well as the understanding that there are seasons for everything, seasons to laugh, seasons to cry, seasons to sow, seasons to reap. Then you should be on PRAY and PRAISE mode than Fight or Flight mode. The enemy both physical and spiritual will not hire a conference facility and have a discussion with you on how he or they will attack you. And that's okay. Besides, God already knows the end from the beginning, so why are you stressing about the outcome? 

The thing with warfare is that it comes with a cost, be it financial, emotional, physical, spiritual or all four. But ultimately, if it is all meant to be for our good, then we should do what we can (PRAY and PRAISE) and leave it all in God's hand. 

As I write this, it doesn't mean I have mastered this, but it means I am encouraging myself in the Lord and His promise. This is a reminder, a note to self. You can do it too. Let God handle it.