“Since I was a little girl I dreamed of being important,
of making a difference in the world…Nothing would deter
me from reaching my dreams of a life lived to the full.
Nothing until this. An encourager? Me? This life
would have no comfort. What if I can’t do it? The
king said we would train for a month but what does that
mean? What if I step out and fail? Working for the king
had to be difficult. What if instead of helping people I
hurt them?”
Excerpt from Journey of Grace: a New Beginning
“With every new opportunity will come both change and
challenge.”
Nevertheless
by Mark Rutland
Change and challenge. As we begin this
New Year, I’m readying myself during the month of
January for the change and challenge that 2012 will
afford. Is this year different from others? No. Every
year has its good and bad.
How do I equip myself? As a writer, I’m
fine tuning my life. Yes, I have set goals, short and
long term that define my writing career. I need to
examine last year, however, and ask myself several
questions. What is working? And what isn’t? How can I
simplify my life? If I just keep adding new goals and
other things each year, I will soon be overwhelmed.
In my novel, Journey of Grace, Grace
realizes the opportunity to become an encourager will
bring change to her life. She cannot physically,
mentally, or emotionally remain full-time in farming and
full-time working as an encourager in the King’s Special
Forces. In addition to the physical drain, the emotional
baggage from her past must be examined and her load
lightened to continue. All of this is a by-product of
change and challenge.
How about you? What changes and
challenges lie ahead in 2012? You can anticipate some
events like the birth of a child or move to another
state, but there will also be surprises. How can you
fine tune and simplify your life so that you can be
ready to meet what lies ahead?
Start by seeking God and ask for His guidance as you
take each of the steps below.
(1)
Examine your schedule. See what occupies
your time. Don’t add more unless you eliminate
something. Don’t disregard important matters such as
family needs, exercise, and devotional time.
(2)
Organize your home and/or office.
Clean first, and then organize. Many aids are available
to help organize and simplify your space. Consider items
that you might need to donate to charity or trash.
(3)
Maintain personal time.
To live a balanced life, you can’t work all the time.
Spend time on yourself by taking walks or exercising,
reading, hobbies, or shopping. Don’t forget to include
devotional time with God to continue weeding emotional
baggage out of your life. What do you need to let go of?
Or hold on to?
We don’t have to be crippled by change and challenge.
With the help of our King, we can prepare for the coming
year and thrive.
