Happy Thursday!
(Today, I’ve actually written TWO blogs. Was tempted to post one of them tomorrow, but felt like the world needed them both today. Enjoy!)
Thanks for all the encouragement yesterday. You guys are more of a blessing than you can know. Not just in my life, but also in each others lives–and in the lives of so many other people!
I don’t know what happened to me yesterday. Just as I wrote in that blog: The Prayer of Jehoshophat, it was one of those days. We all have them. So instead of writing about something absolutely irrelevant to my own situation, I took a big leap of transparency and wrote about how to GET THROUGH a 10 year low… or at least about how I am successfully navigating through my own!
As I figured, you guys immediately went into “rescue Chuck” mode and your LOVE really did make a difference! I hope you ALSO walked away from that blog with a new resolve for your next 10 year low.
Life is filled with ups and downs. Some ups are super-ups and some lows are super-lows. Overcoming the super-lows can be serious challenge if a person lacks any ONE of the following:
The 7 Step Overcomer’s Checklist
- A positive biblical identity
- An extravagant Biblical foundation
- A well established posture of faith
- A fresh encounter with God
- An epic circle of frenzied fans
- A lively prayer and worship routine
- Advanced skills in spiritual warfare
Successful living is not about never having a bad day. It is overcoming whatever life dishes out! And we CAN most definitely overcome as we TRUST in the one who has already overcome EVERY kind of 10 year low any person can ever imagine!
John 16:33 I (Jesus) have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
Really, this is one of my biggest aims as a daily blogger! To offer my fun and loving tribe regular potent doses of those 7 overcoming elements I listed above.
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Why was I so bummed out?
I could tell from talking to a few of my friends yesterday, everyone was trying to figure out what was bumming me out. Ok, that requires another level of transparency from me. Hmmm….
My 10 year lows never have much to do with my personal challenges. Even though many times, a personal issue or two may trigger the potential for a few bad days… I usually overcome personal problems pretty fast.
My marriage is resting on a SOLID foundation. My wife and I have the HEART of our kids and our kids have our hearts (and Gods heart), so we’re able to work through parenting issues pretty well. Believe it or not, we pass the seven step overcomer’s checklist very well! God has been very good to us on a Spiritual level… he is ALWAYS NEAR and ALWAYS FELT.
I guess the ROOT cause of my lowest lows is best described in my most hated English word, “DISSONANCE.”
Dissonance defined: lack of agreement; especially : inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one’s actions (or results) and one’s beliefs.
In other words: We have a worthwhile dream and we KNOW that this dream is SO WELL WITHIN OUR REACH… we’ve spent so much time envisioning the realization of that dream, that if it doesn’t happen we will have been robbed of something we’ve already had in our possession. And every time we move towards that dream, it eludes us! So we wake up every day with a GIGANTIC GAP between the vision and REALITY!
At the beginning of 2009, we were on the brink like we’ve never been on the brink before! Things were happening! Momentum was building into something EPIC! Then as the year progressed, we were POUNDED–not once, but again and again and again. Please don’t try to pretend you know where I’m coming from about this. lol POUNDED is the biggest UNDERSTATEMENT of my entire LIFE!
In 2009, I think my name made it onto hells ten most wanted list! REALLY!
Despite this being the darkest year of my life, God has HELD ME CLOSE and he has MADE ME BETTER FOR IT. There’s no denying the added spiritual strength and character I’m walking out of this year with! So just as I would advise anyone else in similar circumstances, I rejoice in the GREAT THINGS GOD HAS DONE!
As I spoke in last Sundays sermon, “This has been a year of BITTER SWEET… far more SWEET than BITTER!”
Even though we’re far better positioned now than we were a year ago… the lengthiness and enormity of these setbacks has been overwhelming at times. Tuesday night was one of those moments, when I flipped out with IMPATIENCE!
Is this the truth? Well, kind of! lol I supposed there’s a whole lot more whining and groaning to the full version story… but I think this message really describes it best!
I just have to re-read my November 11, 2009 blog a few more times: For the Sake of Something Far More Precious. I have to HOLD ON a little bit longer, until sacrifice meets her reward! At some point in the not too distant future, this dream will have EVERYTHING it needs to RISE FROM OBSCURITY in a second! Out of nowhere IT WILL SEEM… the whole world will benefit from this very long year of SACRIFICE.
I hope that this blog encourages you to STAND… and after you’ve done all, TO REMAIN STANDING! I’m praying for you all today… so feel the difference and make a difference all day long!
Find Me!