PERMISSION TO CHANGE DIRECTION

You are not stuck; you have permission to change direction! 

I wish someone had once said that to me.  The saying goes, “The only constant thing in life is change.”  That may be right, but it doesn’t make it any easier for certain personality types (one of which is mine!)  Change is not easy for me.  Understanding my boundaries and people’s expectations make me feel safe; I know what I’m dealing with.  Plans are my allies; they work with me to achieve my future.  They provide a framework that is the safety net for my mind.  Unfortunately, these things can sometimes keep me stuck and restrict my potential because I fear free falling into the unknown. 

I wish someone had once told me that it’s great to have plans and a framework for the future.  And that it’s helpful to understand people’s expectations.  But these are not restrictions to be tied to.  Instead they are a reflection of how my Creator made me in order to outwork my purpose.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”  This means we have dreams we want to see fulfilled and hopes we want to come to pass, but it the Lord himself who establishes us.  We can try to make things happen in our own strength or we can stick rigidly to the way things were.  Either is not God’s way.  We must be willing to listen for the whisper of our Heavenly Father and to walk in step with the Holy Spirit who will guide us. 

For me, to let go of things where other people are involved feels like failure.  I feel like I’ve let people down and haven’t followed through on my word.  Other times, it’s the fear of people’s perceptions, what I think they’re thinking, that keeps me stuck; I don’t want to look like I’m wavering to and fro.

But the truth is, life is dynamic.  We constantly face change.  It’s okay to have to adjust what we’re doing, in order to keep pace with what God is doing in our lives.  At times, we have long periods where it feels like nothing is happening at all, but God is going ahead to prepare the way for us.  Other times, so many adjustments are taking place, we feel like we’re lying on a chiropractor’s table.  And sometimes, we just don’t like what is being asked of us.  No one season is more virtuous than another.  All are necessary because they teach us different things.

I’m here to tell you what I wish someone had told me.  You have permission to change direction.  You are not stuck in the past.  You are not stuck in what happened to you.  God’s purposes have not overtaken you and left you behind.  You are in His loving hands and He is guiding you towards your future.  Trust Him.  He’s totally and utterly faithful.  Listen for the whisper and when you hear it, be willing to move.  He will establish you and it will be beyond your wildest dreams!