The Stretch…
Bringing clarity and vision to an overwhelmed mind in business and in life…
Going into the unknown is beautiful and fills Us with energy.
The stretch of moving from a people pleasing person to being effective has been and will continue to be a stretch. But I am also realizing it is something that helps to keep me focused. Three years ago, I was finally honest with myself, I was a people pleaser and it mainly consisted of me pleasing my own wants and desires. I am no stranger to His word and knew what was being said: treat others how we want to be treated. And I treated others with respect as I have been taught, but that was It. Most of the things I was doing I was doing it because I was taught It. So, in order to please my soul to know that I am doing right I would do those things I was taught. But I never really took the time to understand why, because if I knew why then my Heart and Mind will wholly be in It. But until I knew why all I felt I was doing was pleasing my taught soul how to only receive what it has been taught to receive but not searched on Its why.
How am I supposed to know that what I am doing is actually right when my friend is still going through It (whatever It is) and I am skipping away as if I hit the “I sowed and now I get to reap button”? Am I donating the right resource? I might believe my friends business or life needs a monetary donation with a get-well card. But maybe it was a donation of time to bring forth the right words that would breathe life back into a business or a life. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21, KJV). What we love we will continue to speak life into It even if it hurts, because I know I have heard that love hearts. It pleases my soul to bless my friend with some money and a few good words to keep their head up high, and it hurts to see them hurting. But it also hurts to walk with my head down towards my friend in humility as I painfully speak the truth knowing that at some point, we will have to look at each other in our eyes of pain. Knowing it hurts to face the truth but hoping to embrace each other’s pain in order to be moving forward even when it looks and feels like a setback.
In those moments that I wanted to be the loving people pleasure to myself so that I can move forward, I knew I needed to sit down and stretch. Moving forward together at times will be Us falling forward together no matter the season. Being stretched mentally into the unknown has brought forth this renewed energy as a better mental understanding is leading to better physical choice of actions.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, KJV)
It was a stretch to not just please my soul and keep my honesty hidden as I only wanted to be truthful with myself. My best business life and life relationships are the ones where We can stretch beyond our own wants and desires and into the unknown. I desire and want my friend’s business and life to be glorious and prosperous, and while a monetary resource is helpful, It has its season. Some seasons It will be another resource needed to produce the right fruit. In some seasons our wants and desires can blind us from the need to just sit and stretch for a bit. Going into the unknown is beautiful and fills us with energy. We just have to make sure we take that time to sit and stretch to endure the season…
“…For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…” (Matthew 12:34, NIV)
