[This Week's Blog by Lisa Main - Total Wellness Defined]
I woke up with this on my heart today and just had to get it written down. I've been seeing so much hurt and pain in the world. My social media feeds are filled with posts about friends who've lost loved ones, are struggling through illness or other tough seasons in their lives, are dealing with anxiety over uncertain times. There's so much going on and it's sometimes hard to focus on anything but all the negatives.
Friends, that's what the enemy wants us to do. Our attention is constantly pulled away from the goodness, blessings, and purpose for our lives. Don't worry, those things are still there; it's time we refocus so we can see them better. It's important to always look for the good in every situation, no matter how impossible that may seem.
Allow me to give you an example...
Gary Young, founder of the multi-billion dollar wellness company, Young Living, nearly died in a logging accident in his early 20s. He had 19 broken bones, three skull fractures and multiple herniations of the spinal cord. He was in a coma for three months. Upon waking, doctors said he would not walk again. Devastated over that prognosis, he tried to commit suicide...twice.
When the first suicide attempt failed, Gary tried starving himself to death. Instead of dying, he actually started feeling sensations in his toes. Starving himself prevented scar tissue from forming and the nerves rerouted themselves, allowing him to regain feeling. This led him to start researching alternative medicine and essential oils.
Not only did he walk again, but he spent every day researching, farming, teaching, and working to help others achieve greater health. Money was never Gary's main objective. He only wanted to help as many people as possible.
Gary started the Young Living Foundation in 2008, which changes lives through providing education to children in impoverished countries, helping women overcome poverty by investing in small business and fair-trade enterprises, and helping victims of abuse and survivors of labor and sexual exploitation.
Young Living and the Young Living Foundation have changed millions of lives for the better. What if Gary's accident hadn't happened? He may have just continued his vision of a successful logging and ranching career. He may never have discovered the body's incredible abilities or the importance of proper nutrition. He may never have impacted millions of lives through his vision and mission.
My point is this: you may be going through the worst and hardest season of your life right now, but don't discount that the biggest blessings may be on the other side of that heartache. Trust that God can bring something amazing out of the worst of circumstances. He sees farther than we can. He knows what's ahead and will guide your path if you let Him. Surrender the pain to Him, seek His wisdom, and watch what He will do.
[This Week's Blog by Lisa Main - Total Wellness Defined]
My daughter loves those big concrete balls outside the Target stores. I'm not sure why, but she insists she try to move them every time we go there. Every. Single. Time.
She's currently 4, so she's well aware she isn't going to move those balls, but she will still excitedly run up to one of them and give it all she's got, while we stand by cheering her on. She tries anyway, despite knowing the reality that the ball won't move. She doesn't hesitate or back down. Once she's pushed on it for a minute, she walks away and we go into the store for whatever it was we were there for. Why do I let her continue to try? Because I want her to never be afraid to give it her best shot, regardless if she (or anyone else) thinks she'll fail. I want her to know what it's like to not succeed, and learn to just go on about her day when that happens.
What do you do when you are faced with something that seems too difficult? Do you shy away from it? If you do give it a try, do you feel like you're truly giving it 100 percent, or do you approach with caution "just in case"? What if instead of backing down you gave it a good push with everything you had? Worst case scenario, you might exert a little time and energy on something that led nowhere, but what's the BEST that could happen?
I've been working through some hard stuff in my head lately. God's been nudging me, in that gentle way that He does, to follow His lead. I'm stubborn. I have been told I have a great amount of faith, but sometimes I feel like I'm failing in the faith department when He calls me to do big things and I hesitate. Growth is hard, y'all!
Whenever I'm in the car alone, I pray. I'm a busy mom with a VERY active almost-4-year-old, so the car rides alone are pretty much the only place I can get quiet and listen to what God is telling me. This morning, I was getting real with Him about my hesitations and He showed up in a big way. His beautiful artwork in the sky appeared at just the right moment as if to tell me, "I've got you, child. I know this is hard."
I often feel incredible guilt and shame for the moments I fail Him, but He reminded me again this morning of how much grace He gives me, and that He is there every time I fall or feel inadequate. Guilt and shame are emotions created by humans that we use to judge ourselves. He reminds me that my measurements of self worth are not the same as His. We look at ourselves through jaded lenses, but He sees so much more than we can fathom. Each day as I walk through my growth with Him, I see a little bit more of what He has for me up ahead. I'm so grateful for His grace.
If you're feeling uncertain, lost, or alone, there is peace in our Creator. He is patiently waiting to lift you up and free you from the chains that bind.
What is weighing on you today?
