Imperfect Progress in the Journey of Life
I recently decided, after 15 years of parting my hair on the left side of my head, I am going to start parting it on my right. I thought it would be a simple switch to make, but, like changing any habit, it was much harder than I realized. I never thought it would be so difficult to "train" hair to lay a different way! Even after applying extra hair product, blow drying, styling...it still felt like a bad hair day. It reminded me of those morning-after-a-drastic-haircut days...when the cut just wasn't styling the way you had pictured and you want to make a desperate quick-trip to the salon again!
I thought Day 2 would be better. It was...until I stepped outside in the gusty March winds. Then my hair looked like total chaos! It's as if my hair was rebelling against both the old and new way of styling and chose to lay flat and limp across my face!
I almost quit; it just seemed to be taking too much effort to make this hardly-worthwhile change! But then I felt some blog-ponderings begin to dance around inside my head and knew I had to stick with it for awhile longer. The verse from Proverbs 22:6 kept coming to me: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
I saw some similarities between my stubborn hair and this journey called parenting. Some days, my kids just don't act right. Some days I don't see any positive progress and the temptation to give up is just too great. Just like I was getting angry and frustrated at my hair, I too easily get angry and frustrated with my children. Training up children is no easy task; it's not something that can be completed in a day, week or month...but a journey of...YEARS.
Back to my hair...imagine my excitement on Day 3 when my hair parted on the right immediately after washing it--before I even combed it! The hair training was getting easier! Even the slightest sign of progress was enough to boost my hope and determination. Perhaps it would be easier for some of you to identify with me if I bring up the subject of potty training, which happens to be a hurdle I am currently addressing with my 2 year old. This is one of the hardest areas of training in my mommy experiences thus far. The patience, control, and grace that it takes to train a child to pee in a toilet is unfathomable and yet, even the slightest sign of progress gives any exasperated mother new hope, determination, and relief!
Old habits die hard. This can be true in any area of life, not just parenting or hair styling! For instance, sometime in the last 3 years, I got in the bad habit of checking in with my electronics before I check in with God each morning. It's an old habit I am committed to changing. Why should I be so excited to check my e-mail and facebook accounts and so easily push aside quality time with My Maker? Another bad habit I've developed since becoming a mother, is becoming a yeller. Somehow I came under the impression that my children will respond and respect me faster if I raise my voice. But I've been learning that yelling causes my children to obey out of fear rather than respect. A book that has been really helpful in this area of my life is "Unglued-Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions" by Lysa TerKeurst.
New habits develop slowly. A positive habit I've introduced into my weekly routine is running. I've always wanted to complete a 5K and knew if I would sign up for one, it would be good motivation for me to get in shape. Training is always easier when there is a goal in mind. I never enjoyed running before, but I've quickly come to appreciate this alone-time, finding it is refreshing, both mentally and physically!
We all have goals and desires we want to set out and accomplish. Getting there is a journey; a process of training that we don't fully appreciate. As Lysa states in her book: "Imperfect changes are slow steps of progress wrapped in grace...[and that makes] imperfect progress." So whatever new "training" you are facing right now, whether it's job, marriage, parenting, physical, emotional, spiritual, or just a new hairdo...may you enjoy the journey and soak up all that God desires you to!
Above all, I believe God desires us to do some deep soul-training. We need to daily Seek Him to renew and change our hearts to be more like His. I love the verse in Hebrews 12:1-3: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
No matter how hard life can get in it's daily challenges, we have hope by fixing our eyes on the prize: Jesus. Let's commit to throw off the sin and distractions that so easily entangle us and instead, focus on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith! Though our progress may be slow and imperfect, let's run this race that God has marked out for us with joy and determination!
I thought Day 2 would be better. It was...until I stepped outside in the gusty March winds. Then my hair looked like total chaos! It's as if my hair was rebelling against both the old and new way of styling and chose to lay flat and limp across my face!
I almost quit; it just seemed to be taking too much effort to make this hardly-worthwhile change! But then I felt some blog-ponderings begin to dance around inside my head and knew I had to stick with it for awhile longer. The verse from Proverbs 22:6 kept coming to me: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
I saw some similarities between my stubborn hair and this journey called parenting. Some days, my kids just don't act right. Some days I don't see any positive progress and the temptation to give up is just too great. Just like I was getting angry and frustrated at my hair, I too easily get angry and frustrated with my children. Training up children is no easy task; it's not something that can be completed in a day, week or month...but a journey of...YEARS.
Back to my hair...imagine my excitement on Day 3 when my hair parted on the right immediately after washing it--before I even combed it! The hair training was getting easier! Even the slightest sign of progress was enough to boost my hope and determination. Perhaps it would be easier for some of you to identify with me if I bring up the subject of potty training, which happens to be a hurdle I am currently addressing with my 2 year old. This is one of the hardest areas of training in my mommy experiences thus far. The patience, control, and grace that it takes to train a child to pee in a toilet is unfathomable and yet, even the slightest sign of progress gives any exasperated mother new hope, determination, and relief!
Old habits die hard. This can be true in any area of life, not just parenting or hair styling! For instance, sometime in the last 3 years, I got in the bad habit of checking in with my electronics before I check in with God each morning. It's an old habit I am committed to changing. Why should I be so excited to check my e-mail and facebook accounts and so easily push aside quality time with My Maker? Another bad habit I've developed since becoming a mother, is becoming a yeller. Somehow I came under the impression that my children will respond and respect me faster if I raise my voice. But I've been learning that yelling causes my children to obey out of fear rather than respect. A book that has been really helpful in this area of my life is "Unglued-Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions" by Lysa TerKeurst.
New habits develop slowly. A positive habit I've introduced into my weekly routine is running. I've always wanted to complete a 5K and knew if I would sign up for one, it would be good motivation for me to get in shape. Training is always easier when there is a goal in mind. I never enjoyed running before, but I've quickly come to appreciate this alone-time, finding it is refreshing, both mentally and physically!
We all have goals and desires we want to set out and accomplish. Getting there is a journey; a process of training that we don't fully appreciate. As Lysa states in her book: "Imperfect changes are slow steps of progress wrapped in grace...[and that makes] imperfect progress." So whatever new "training" you are facing right now, whether it's job, marriage, parenting, physical, emotional, spiritual, or just a new hairdo...may you enjoy the journey and soak up all that God desires you to!
Above all, I believe God desires us to do some deep soul-training. We need to daily Seek Him to renew and change our hearts to be more like His. I love the verse in Hebrews 12:1-3: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
No matter how hard life can get in it's daily challenges, we have hope by fixing our eyes on the prize: Jesus. Let's commit to throw off the sin and distractions that so easily entangle us and instead, focus on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith! Though our progress may be slow and imperfect, let's run this race that God has marked out for us with joy and determination!
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