Saturday, November 22, 2008

"I just stopped."

I havn't had internet for a bit, but I was still bloggin'.  Here are some thought from a couple of weeks ago.

Last night I had the privilege of meeting with a great group of homeschool moms.  These women meet monthly to encourage, uplift and support one another.  It was such a good time of fellowship, one my heart really needed.  After the meeting several of us were still kind of hanging around and discussing some of the funny little things that people do.  Stuff like having jimmy legs or a constant rocking or just little nuances that doesn’t really benefit anybody nor do they really matter to life at all. One of the ladies was speaking of herself and how she handled these little things in life and usually ended up picking up the trait herself.  Then she said the most profound thing I heard all day. And when she said it, it was at the tail end of the conversation, and I’m not sure anyone else even heard it. She said “One day I noticed I was doing it and I just stopped”.  It wasn’t meant to be a theology on life, it wasn’t a dissertation on how to handle issues, it wasn’t a motivational speech; it was just a simple thought about a trivial little thing.

 

She just stopped.  That has been rolling around and around in my mind. (I almost said I can’t stop thinking about it – but that totally goes against my story!)  She just stopped.  She didn’t join a 12 step support group.  She didn’t get 47 books on how to deal with it.  She didn’t go into depression over how her life wasn’t perfect. She didn’t go to the front of her church and get prayed for.  She didn’t feel guilty for picking up this new bad habit. Her life didn’t fall apart when she realized that she was doing this unnecessary thing.  Nope, she said, one day she noticed she was doing it and she just stopped.

 

The Lord brought a verse to mind that I have used and known for entirely different reasons. 2 Timothy 1:7 says for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. I have used this verse to effectively battle fear, but I have not ever really thought about it as ‘God has given us a spirit of power’ like I felt the Lord was saying to me. I know that the root word for power here means the ability to create change. God has given us His Spirit which has the ability to create change.

 

So, as His Spirit continues to show me little things in my life that aren’t necessary and don’t benefit anybody at all, He has given me the power to just stop.  He has given me the power to just stop assuming things.  He has given me the power to just stop being so critical.  He has given me the power to just stop comparing myself with others.  He has given me the power to just stop over eating.  He has given me the power to just stop being lazy.  He has given me the power to just stop whining and complaining.  He has given me His Spirit which has the ability to create change in my life; change that will undoubtedly make my life better.

 

Thank you Jesus that some things are simple enough to just stop.  Thank you that You give me the power to make change through your perfect Spirit.  Please give me eyes to realize the actions I have picked up that aren’t beneficial. You are so good!

1 comment:

Stook said...

This was really encouraging for me Rachel. Thank you.

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