Morning Mirror, “Time for a change.”

Do you know what I love? Mornings. I don’t enjoy the waking up and getting out of bed part of mornings, but I love walking out my front door, and seeing the first colors of the new day. The sunrise is always so unique, always different, and ever-changing. This morning, the sunrise was perfectly blended with various shades of blue and purple. I just picture God sitting up in Heaven with His paint brush every morning, asking Himself, “What colors should I paint the sky today?” I love seeing His paintings in the sky, the beauty of them is immeasurable. I wish I had thought to take a picture, but I was in too big of a hurry. There’s always tomorrow morning though!

The sunrise this morning made me think of change. We make changes in our lives quite often, and sometimes, change comes into our lives in an unwelcome force. We are then left to adapt to it. It isn’t always fun or easy, but during that change, you learn, you grow, and you become stronger as a whole. Change isn’t always negative either, change can be a positive thing! Change is often the secret ingredient to living the life we were meant to live, and being the person we were meant to be.

I’ve been making some changes in my life this last month. I won’t go into depth about what kind of changes, but they are changes I’ve been praying about for a while now; changes that I believe are needed for me. All good changes of course!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! Haha, sorry, that was perfectly set up, and I had to do it! Gotta love that 70’s and 80’s music! Anyway, back to topic… Sometimes we need change in our lives so that we can live our life to the fullest and so we can be the best version of ourselves.

An example of a needed change in your life might be your job. Maybe the environment you have been working in is toxic, and you feel you need to pull yourself away from it. You either need to make the decision to stay there and endure it, or you can consider making the change, and finding something else. You have to decide what’s best for you.

Maybe you feel you need to make a change in your attitude, or a change in where you are currently living. Maybe you need a change of scenery. Maybe you need to walk away from something for a good minute, so you can think, and come back to it with a clear mind.

I remember when I was a senior in high school, I was working on a challenging drawing for Art class. I had been staring at it, shading it with my drawing pencil, and making changes to it for hours. I was up until about three in the morning, and finally decided I needed to step away from it. I was growing more and more frustrated, and it was draining me. I took a moment to lay down and rest my eyes. When I came back to it, I was less stressed, and I felt more focused on the shaded drawing in front of me.

I completed the drawing and handed it in to my art teacher the next day. She loved it so much, she used it as an example for all of her other classes. She even asked if she could keep it! I didn’t let her of course, because the amount of time I had spent on it, made me value it. It was something I had accomplished, something I had worked hard on. If it weren’t for the change I had made, when deciding to walk away from the drawing for a bit, I probably wouldn’t have gathered the patience I needed to be able to complete it.

Let me tell you, the satisfaction that comes after completing a drawing or piece of art is inexpressible. The same goes for completing a piece of writing! Whatever you complete in life, whether it’s running a marathon and crossing the finish line, making the winning shot in a basketball game, beating an illness; whatever it is, be proud of it! It’s an accomplishment, and you should own it!

I love Albert Einstein’s quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” You know it’s time for a change, when you feel as though you are doing the same thing over and over again, and you aren’t getting any satisfaction from it.

Maybe it’s time for you to take a step back from what you are currently doing, and to take some time to pray to God about it. You need His guidance in everything, always. Allow Him to show you if that change is His will for you. That’s the first step you need to take before making any big decision in life. Patience is key, wait on Him, and He will guide you.

This morning as I was driving to work, I was full of joy and excitement! At the beginning of the month, I made a big decision, I made a change. I kept thinking to myself, I made the first step. It might take me a while to get to where I want to go, but I took that first step, which is often the most difficult part of a new journey. God will help me get there, I just have to remain faithful to Him. After thinking all of this to myself, I went and picked up the mail at the post office. Inside, there was a 2020 calendar. The cover read, “Make today ridiculously amazing.” I flipped up the first page of the calendar, and what I saw provided me a smile of delight. It read, “The first step is half the journey.” I mean, things like that don’t just happen! It wasn’t just one of those crazy awesome coincidences…no. I believe it was God encouraging me, and telling me not to be afraid, He’s got me. He has you too! So my point is, don’t be afraid to take that first step, pray to God before taking it, and allow Him to take control. Stay faithful in Him, and He will show you the way!

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Psalm 32:8 (ESV)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Isaiah 58:11 (ESV)

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

Copyright © 2019 Angela J. Stout.