Dancing With ChangeSample

Day 7: Trusting in THE Higher Power:

You made it to the 7th and final day of the Dancing with Change Plan! On our final day, we’re discussing the most important process of navigating change effectively—trusting in God.

Losing my father was one of the most painful things I have ever had to deal with, but I didn’t want to let it knock me down for the count. Even as a child, I could not perceive living a second-class life for the rest of my days because a tragic experience punched me in the gut and left me wounded. While it temporarily knocked me down, it didn’t knock me out. I refused to let it hold me back and keep me from changing.

Why is it that some move forward and others sink into a state of retrogression? The answer is simple - those who don’t quit can accept change. They don’t necessarily like the bitter taste of loss, the sting of death, or the dismay of losing an anchor in their lives. But they are the kind of folks who can use failure or sorrow as a launching pad. They get better instead of bitter. In trying to encourage those who are giving up, I often ask, “What in the world is holding you back? What is so important in the center of all that you have gone through that makes you want to stay stuck in the mud?”

Logic and common sense would seem to dictate that if you don’t like the situation that you are going through and don’t like where you are at this point, you need to step on the gas. Move forward, get away from the problems, and don’t even pause to look in the rearview mirror. To engage in such fruitless behavior is to ignore the wise words Jesus shared in his legendary “Sermon on the Mount”: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matt. 14:6). Later, He told His disciples: “And when you stand praying if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25).

The choice you make between moving ahead and staying behind will make all the difference in the world. From this day on, choose to view where you are differently from where you were in the past. Don’t complain about where you are, which will only stretch out the process. The trials we face are only meant to teach us lessons that will help us progress toward our goals as we dance into the future. Look at today as a building block for making your home a fortified one.

Thank you for joining me on this 7-day journey. I hope you have gained something and can approach the current and future transitions of your life with a new perspective. For more on navigating change Biblically, you can check out my book, Dancing with Change at http://dancingwithchangebook.com/.