I don’t know one person that is satisfied with every area of their life. On the contrary, most of us have things we would like to change. Whether it is our lifestyle, body type, relationship or financial status, we all have something that could use a make- over. But change is hard and most people never become the person they desire to become because it is “too hard.” It is either “too expensive” to eat healthy and join a gym, it’s “too depressing” to loose weight, “too hard” to say I am sorry for my part of the misunderstanding or just “too painful” to deal with the reasons we are where we are in life. Regardless of what YOUR issue is, any change, no matter how small or how big is hard and it is painful. Would it help if you had a guarantee that the pain would be worth it? Would it help if I told you after you lose the 20 extra pounds you’re carrying around that you would find the man or woman of your dreams? Could you do it then? If it was a guarantee?
I am here to tell you it is a guarantee! I have been through many painful experiences in my life but I will share two with you. The first is delivering my son! For those of you who have never delivered a baby, you cannot possibly understand the pain involved in the process. Those of you who have know what I am talking about. Labor is the most intense pain I have ever experienced and during the delivery process, I told myself I NEVER wanted to go through it again, and my labor including delivery was only four hours long. That is very short in comparison to most women’s labor and delivery. Holding my new born son was worth it 100 times over. Any mother would admit being willing to go through the pain again if it meant having their children.
Eighteen months after the delivery of my son, I had to make the hardest decision of my life. To this day, nothing has ever compared to the pain of having to make the following decision. I left him. Most people cannot ever understand how a mother can leave a child and honestly, it would have been impossible for me if I had not believed he would have a better life without living with me. Someday I will write about the circumstances that caused me to leave, but right now, the point is, difficulty often changes a person for the good. (My son and I are extremely close and he is about to start Bible College).
Here is a scenario that most people can relate to. This is what typically happens for those who start a weight loss program. Day one goes as planned. Everyone wakes up excited about their new diet. Day two is still going as planned but headaches are starting to set in. By day three, four or five, fatigue and headaches are getting more unbearable. This is the time when people give up and quit! But what if I told you that headaches and fatigue is part of the process, but if you persevere, it will pass and then your body will begin to let go of the extra weight! The problem is that most people cannot see past the pain!! I have seen it a thousand times! However, I have also seen the clients who did NOT give up and went on to lose over 60lbs. and 90lbs. That is why I continue doing what I do because the people who are not afraid of the pain succeed and there is nothing better than watching their life transformed!
The reason I am writing about this is because of a scripture I read the other night. Something clicked for me. It is the familiar story about the disciples and Jesus in the ship when a storm came and almost destroyed the ship and killed the crew. It is the place where Jesus speaks to the storm and says “peace be still” and the storm subsides. (Full story found in Luke 8:22-26).
What was not familiar to me was verse 22. “……let us go over unto the other side…” immediately after the decision was made to go over to the other side, the trouble came. Crossing over to the other side is typically a reference to going to the next level or taking the next step. It’s about progression. The disciples hit a storm that almost killed them and capsized the ship. God was the deciding factor, as he always is. With God, nothing shall be impossible! (Mark 10:27)
My point is, that anytime you make a decision to go to the next level in your life and grow as a person to make positive changes, inevitably you will encounter difficulty! It is a principle of the bible that does not change. The reasons are many. For one, difficulty always tests your determination. How much do you want it? What are you willing to do for it? You must be able to stay the course no matter what obstacles come. The other reason is because you will never fully appreciate success until you have sacrificed to achieve it. It is the old adage that we cannot know happiness without sorrow. It must cost you something to change.
The good news is that the struggle doesn’t last. The obstacles can be overcame and the good times far outweigh the bad times. If you can remember that struggle and challenge is a part of the process, it is easier to keep going without being distracted from the goal.
Finally, remember that only the strong survive. What are you made of? If it were easy to change everyone would be skinny vogue models right? The truth is that it is NOT easy but the reward after you walk through the difficulty is something money cannot buy and no one can take away from you!
Just do it !!
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