March 11, 2014 - "Change It!"

As I walked my yard and picked up a few sticks late yesterday afternoon before an event, I was torn between the ugliness of winter coupled with the "never have to water standard" and the beauty of my summer yard and the extra hours of work to prepare and maintain such beauty. The more sticks I gathered, the more the memory of a painful back and hips following the "Yard Project 2013" emerged. In fact, every yard project has a back issue that haunts me. Then I smiled and remembered how I love to sit in the swing beside the waterfall and drink coffee. I remembered how I love walking the yard and examining the brilliance of the flowers and the fragrance of the roses. Somehow the pain seemed to lessen its hold on my memories. Isn't that the way of life? We often remember the pain before we celebrate the beauty. Is being healthy or successful worth the long hours and the sacrifice? Is learning a new trade or moving to a new city worth the cost? Absolutely. For example, being healthy takes consistent focus for me but the alternative places me back within the darkest winter season of my life. The saying goes, "we make time to do the things we want to." This statement is not always correct. For years I wanted to be healthy, get a new job, explore a new life. I wanted to. I believe "want to" has to be coupled with action for change to occur. I am certain there are life-changing things that we consider and ponder, but painful, past experiences can effect our hope of something new or something better. Sometimes, we find ourselves trapped by the "age" card. "I'm really too old to............" Let's remember change can be good regardless of the difficulty or our age, especially if God is directing the shift! If God is asking us to change, He will be consistently present. And guess what...if making a change is on us, He will still be there! That's a win-win situation. Let's not be afraid to try. I feel strongly to encourage you this morning - do something new! Try something different and make those changes you've been "wanting to." Embracing something new often brings a lift to our spirit and overcoming a challenge adds wind to our sail. Change doesn't have to be scary, expensive or difficult. Tip for the day - a gallon of paint is cheap and your entire living room could be different by this evening. Have an amazing Tuesday! PK