Handcuffed

This past week I took a pair of handcuffs and latched my hands. Knowing there were no keys I snapped them closed confident that I could pick the locks open.....
Hours later I was still trapped, and though just my hands were bound, this affected my ability to get anything accomplished.

No I am not that idle, but I have been thinking a lot about how my own doubts affect my life; very much as though I snapped a pair of handcuffs on my hands, and tried to accomplish my purpose. I realized that self-doubt in many ways play the role of cuffing my hands without having to execute the activity in a literal sense.

IT'S HARD TO SECURELY GRASP ANYTHING
You have the ideas, and the tools but doubt prevents us from getting thing done. We come up with all the reasons why it will not work out. Consequently, the drive and aggression to see things through is non-existent. Great faith but no works- death. Doubt is a dream killer.

LOSS OF BALANCE
Self-doubt kills determination. We are not sure what we want, and so we are all over the place. You decide you want to start your own business, and just when you make your decision of coarse, someone decides to give their advice; and the advice always comes from the ones you never solicited. They always know why your idea is crazy, and before you know it your idea to open a restaurant becomes a plan to set up a pop-corn stand on the street corner, because you doubt that your purpose will materialize.
I love my Mom, but she can be very negative at times. I went to her about a side business I wanted to do, and the first thing from her mouth was "what to have all that unsold product on your hands?" I was somewhat crushed, and blamed her for the fact that I abandoned my idea, but it was my fault. If this was what I really wanted to do self-confidence should have driven me to prove all the reasons why my endeavor would succeed.

SETTLING
Try sitting up from a lying position with your hands tied. It is a bit of a challenge, and somewhat demotivating. If we had to function like that we would probably want to lie in bed a little bit longer every morning. I realize that self-doubt does the same thing. Can you think of a lot of unfinished projects that you were really excited about when they were just ideas? How about the comfort zone we sit in because we are afraid to fail at something new; settling to keep our hands cuffed. We even go further as to justify our decision to stay tied up. After all, we can still walk, and the rest of the body still works. I just need to make the best of this. Also, when self-doubt cuffs us it is really difficult to get up from a down position when things, people, or life knock us over. I have realized that confidence goes a long way when life happens.

VULNERABILITY
When we tie our hands up with self doubt we become more dependent on others than we really should be. Have you ever met someone who can't make decision on their own, and is constantly seeking validation from others. My brother is a computer wiz so I always ask him for help whenever I have technical issues. One day he told me I was using him as a crutch. I was offended at first, but it pushed me to try and figure things out myself by researching the problems. Calling my brother became a last resort. I realized I was more capable than I thought. I was able to walk without the crutches, but my vulnerability never allowed me to try.

I watch people walking their dogs, and it amuses me to see that as excited as the dog gets to chase something that catches his/her eyes, he only gets so far and then the owner snaps the leash. Self-doubt owns us, and limits our ability to reach our goals.


SS Writer

Revised Definitions

"Wonder if we tried a new thing
Looked inside, see what we can bring. 
Forget who you're supposed to be.
Take all crazy flavors, show them off to me.
If we dare to wonder about what holds us down,
the fears, the doubts,
Could we spark something, watch it grow?
Be more wonder-filled than we know."

If you have been watching television lately, you have probably watched an Oreo cookie advertisement with a very catchy tune and the above lyrics written across the screen.
I have always thought that God doesn't speak to me, because I never had a "Burning Bush" experience. Also, I never had a prophet point me out at church to tell me God's great plans for my life. I never even had the messenger experience; you know when someone comes up to you and says that the Lord told them to tell you..... Come to think about it, I don't aspire to have the kind of relationship with a god who sits in a circle, and plays "pass the message". As a matter of fact from experience I have learned that in those scenarios a piece of the message always gets twisted.
I am realizing that if I have a close relationship with God He does not have to start a fire to get my attention. I am learning to embrace His simple but powerful "ah hah" moments.

This Oreo song struck a cord for me. Thousands, probably millions spent to get consumers to embrace the Oreo cookie as much more than two dark chocolate discs with a white cream filling in the middle. The makers of the ad drew the viewer in because we can all identify.
We struggle to show our own "crazy flavors" because we are often boxed in by the fear of not being who others perceive us to be. We place our own suffocating definitions on our lives. The mention of just a few words instantly bring just one image to mind for most of us;
Beauty- be honest, most of us think of some model airbrushed or spanxed into existence.
How about the word "Educated"-Harvard right?
How about Beauty- size 12, pleasantly plump, and the wash board stomach got washed away?
Educated- couldn't afford college but I learned on the job and worked my way up.
Come on admit it. If you are on an online dating site and you have a university degree, you probably cringe when you realize that a suitor's education description is listed as "high school".

In December 2013 Oxford Dictionary was updated to include 500 new words, and more than 1000 revisions of words and phrase because of usage.
What aspect of your life do you need to redefine? What skills are lying dormant that you need to put to use?
The only peace you need, you'll get from your one on ones with God. Get off the phone. You have Googled enough testimonials about using a parachute. Now jump!

SS Writer

Go To Your Room God

You probably have done this yourself before, or watched someone cover a child's ears up, or instruct them to do it, so something out of line can be said. I am probably not the only one who has done this to God, but I'll speak for myself. 

There have been times when that sin is soooo sweet I have said "Lord, if you could just excuse me for a bit. Better yet Lord, go to your room for a while because this stuff is too adult for your eyes and ears.There are some things that just don't seem to be as effective when done the Christian way Lord. There are some people that I can't give a piece of my mind in the PG 13 way.
Lord I know I have been keeping my body, but another birthday just passed. It's raining on the tin roof, and Barry White just set the stage. Lord I am sorry but I have to make a phone call. So Lord I need you to just cover your ears and eyes for a bit. But Lord when I say Hallelujah that will be your queue to take center stage again."

"Ok Lord, I'm ready for you to come out of Your room now. It's your time now Lord. Lord why aren't you answering when I call You. I am sorry I got myself into this mess. Lord please You can stop covering your ears now. I need you. I promise, if you get me out of this one you can be a part of every aspect of my life again."

In the theatre production of life there is only one center stage spotlight. It means I have to exit for him to play the lead role in my life. That's hard though- everyone wants the lead part. But think about it- the Oscar for SUPPORTING actor or actress goes to the one who best enhances the role of the one who takes the center stage of a production.

Support- give assistance to; enable to function or act.

So we have to enable/allow God to take over. God will not push Himself into the leading role. We want to play our role, run our mouths, do things our way because the attention feels good. Mean while God waits patiently in the back stage area of our life. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in soothing ourselves with false success, soon we are attempting to run God's lines as well. I don't care how stellar we feel we've performed, but we are often forced to realize that life is not the appropriate stage for a monologue. If I never shut up and allow God to lead, my own success is short lived. God  has a way of making me look good, so I am learning to allow Him to gain the praise, loop my arm through His, work it, and execute the princess wave.

SS Writer