Pulling The Anchor

It’s so easy to start something, even with careful consideration and soon you feel you made the biggest mistake. You immediately want to resign every effort, thought, and plan that went into this new thing and b-line in the opposite direction. This whole notion is normal but in the moment, you feel like failure has gripped you. The entire idea seems foolish, ludicrous even, and you can't believe that you even thought of such foolery.

Skylar, my five year old daughter has been asking for a puppy for almost a year now. When asked about a second baby, my response has always been she can have a puppy brother. Around Christmas, talking with a friend I said, I’m not searching high and low for a dog. I’m not forgoing the light bill for a puppy. It will practically have to fall from heaven. The moment when your words are actualized and you remember how powerful the tongue is...ugghhhh!!!

Not a week later, my god-mom told me their dog was having puppies. Even after that I was still not convinced.   Not sure exactly when we agreed to go forth with the puppy. But we arrived at the moment of truth, this Monday we go to pick up the puppy, Luna. Skylar full of excitement exclaims , it’s magical! I have real puppy!

Me and my husband, displaying obvious feelings of regret and uncertainty. Met with Skylar's feelings of regret later; when she realized she would also be responsible to help take Little Luna out for potty breaks and that she couldn't shorten the breaks when she was ready come back in the house.

By Wednesday, we were ready to return little Luna with a FULL refund. I texted my god mom, we’re bringing her back!!!! We still have her...I guess chiiillee. Though I’m still not fully persuaded, that’s where I am. Though this is just a puppy, God will use any situation for a teachable moment.

You Will Feel Like Giving Up

The feelings of pure regret and throwing in the towel are so overwhelming I literally wanted to cry! If this were my feelings over a dog, how much more overwhelming things could become when considering the things of God. This teachable moment was so needed in this season. When we start something, we’re usually full of excitement, much like Skylar was, but when the reality of the sacrifices requires set in, we high-tale it to the nearest exit. What have we started with excitement? What ideas have we continuous sat on the back burner out of fear of the sacrifices required?

The reality of it is, no matter how clear you hear the voice of God concerning a situation, your purpose, or destiny, you will feel like giving up! You will feel overwhelmed, under qualified, and if you’re like me, scared of disappointing God. Don’t think it strange, don’t think something is wrong with you, or you didn’t hear God clearly, it is normal to feel like giving up. It’s what we do with those feelings that will determine or outcome. Will you allow those feelings to cripple you, or will use the fear as energy to serve as a launching pad?

The Breakdown

There will come a moment of complete and utter devastation. A moment where you lose it. Much like my breakdown talking with a friend from work. As I was explaining to her that I was attempting to manipulate my child. Giving her the hardest decision, you want this dog or a phone? My eyes started to well, my throat was getting tight, an entire meltdown about a DOG was ensuing! I laugh at myself now. Y’all, I can’t make this up, she was looking at me, like wait. What’s going on? About a dog? Now I know my monthly friend was headed for her visit. But at that moment, my emotions felt genuinely real. The hinderance in the growth of this process, is we often minimize these feelings; instead of embracing them, so that we can activate the faith we stand on.

This is the thing, that fear, the desire to quit is only a "feeling." It will not last. We have to be willing to push past what the flesh is feeling, and hold fast to faith. What is faith? Faith is the substance of things hope for and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Faith is believing that what you hope for will manifest.

The Move

As I replay this in my mind, I realize that the feelings surrounding the idea of quitting or even more dangerous, not even starting, are not real. Self-awareness in the moment is crucial and we can't make a permanent or detrimental decision in a temporary place. The breakdown comes with feelings of doubt, unbelief, lack of confidence in your abilities.

Relating this silly breakdown to real life matters, we can allow our emotions to weigh heavily on what God is calling us to. Allowing our emotions to be the anchor of our life choices, will continue to leave us grasping for air, drowning and stagnant, stuck. Anchors are meant to keep you placed in one location , ensuring movement is hindered.

Because I know my God moves mountains, He moves the clouds of the sky, He moves the waves of the sea, I’m convinced that He desires us to move! He desires for His children to move! Move for ourselves, move for those connected to us, move for the Kingdom!

What is keeping you from moving? What is preventing you from moving in the direction of the Voice calling that you hear so clearly? Is it fear of relinquishing control? Is it the weight of the sacrifices to come? Because they will come. Or do you lack confidence? Whatever that thing is that is preventing you from moving, identify the anchor and pull it up! It’s time to move! Move on the heart of God, and He will move His hands in your life. SIS...MOVE!!!

Determination

Being determined means to be persistent through discomfort, through confusion, through sacrifices to reach an expected end. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Be determined through uncertainty, determined to see the hand of God, determined to move! We move not because everything lines up perfectly. Me move because we know that God will be there. If He’s called you to a thing, and He will be there to meet you on the other side of that thing; on the other side of uncertainty, on the other side of confusion, and on the other side of your obedience.

Access Your Situation

We still have the puppy. I’m still uncertain. Lol In the grander scheme of my life, this is such a small matter. However, there are larger areas of our lives that require larger sacrifices. Those areas that have allowed us to drop the emotional anchors in our lives to port, resulting in stationary, mundane lives. We should be determined to move forward in uncertainty, through the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt knowing that God’s greater purpose is on the other side. Your purpose is in you, awaiting you to activate it. We're not waiting on God, He's waiting on us to pull up the anchor!