Five Minute Friday - Change

On Fridays a bunch of brave writers gather here to all spend five collective minutes writing on a single prompt. It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week. This blessed, beautiful place where we open our hearts and let words and tears and the inner workings of our lives bleed and flow and dance across the virtual pages. Yes, this community opens wide and invites you in to share. Come visit and read. You will be blessed.

This week: Change

Go

If you know me, you know it’s no secret that I am a fan of personal growth. I am not known for standing still. Often, I will forge ahead (sometimes in painful ways) to get to a breakthrough.

It is my personal belief that if you are not learning, you are moving backwards. I’m not sure I believe in the idea of standing still.

One look at my overflowing stacks of books (that I’m almost embarrassed to share here – because really? All the books?) some read, some waiting in queue, and you’ll see that I am all about growing. Growing means changing, and several of the books I’ve read this year have sucker punched me into looking hard at my ideas of growth and change like I didn’t see coming.

I expected to be moved. I expected to be challenged. I don’t think I expected to find myself flat on my face; tears flowing – trying to sort out all of the stirrings of my heart. There was an overwhelming desire to run out and try to implement everything I’d been reading and digesting, coupled with an equally intense feeling of complete inadequacy and helplessness in the face of the endless pit of need in the world today.

I was reading several of these books during my blogging sabbatical in April and also delved into the book of Galatians. It was a sweet time and I gleaned many lessons from Paul’s letter to this early church.

I’ve recently started through that same epistle again – this time with the community of IF Equip. I love going through the Word again, one small morsel at a time; savoring the lessons and sinking deep. This gospel of grace.

As we headed into the end of chapter one on Wednesday, I ran into some notes I’d made back in April that brought perspective and insight all over again. As Paul speaks of preparing to bring this gospel of grace to those in need, he talks about a time where he goes away. While he does not share about this specifically, commentators suggest Paul used this time to learn from the Lord and meditate as he prepared to return – a changed man – to bring the good news.

I desire change. I desire to be an instrument of change. I desire to be a vessel for the Lord and help bring specific and intentional change to the world around me – whether it be in my immediate zip code or the hungry, aching, broken world at large.

But I’ll do so in His timing – according to His plan. And after I’ve stood still. After I've been steeped and soaked in His word and the words of those who serve Him and are bending low, keeping their eyes on Him, and leading with their actions.

Stop


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