Today I awoke to a gentle snowfall- not a big storm, just lots of tiny powdery flakes swirling around and covering the ground in a soft white blanket. We’re supposedly in for a big storm tomorrow, but today is just a peaceful, gentle reminder of winter.
This got me to pondering about spiritual growth. The beginning of the new year always heralds the onslaught of resolutions regarding weight and healthier eating- such a huge focus everywhere on physical fitness and physical changes and physical health. Now that we’re at the end of January, things seem to have fallen to the wayside and we’re in that hibernation mode- the dead of winter, too early to think of spring, just hunkering down in the bitter cold. A time to look inward and reflect. For me, I started thinking about how little we often focus on spiritual growth, particularly in a society that values superficial beauty and physical forms above all else.
Last year I decided to deepen my relationship with God by reading the entire Bible, and I gained so much from that journey that I decided to do it again this year. I find solace and great comfort in knowing that God is always with me, guiding me, and subtly communicating His plan, so long as I remain open to seeing those subtle signs. At this point I just finished Genesis and I’m heading into Exodus. This got me thinking about those hundreds of years’ time between the books, and how that relates to today- the dead of winter, the calm before the storm, the introspection opportunity of this slower time of year. It’s a great time to develop and nourish our spiritual growth, to deepen our relationship with God, and see what He is calling us to do. What is it in our life right now that God may be trying to bring me out of? To change? To improve? To leave behind and cast off? What is keeping me from the intimacy of my best relationship with God? After the early January emphasis on our physical selves, now is a great time to remind ourselves that “Man does not live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4).
Take a look at your spiritual health this week. What are the parallels to Exodus in your life right now? What is your Egypt? What is enslaving you? Keeping you down? Squelching your growth? What do you need to cast off and escape out of in order to institute a great change? And what excuses are you using to justify complacency? Sometimes we are unhappy with some aspect of our life, but fear the changes required to move forward. It’s so much easier to make excuses as to why we cannot change, and why we have to accept our dissatisfaction and keep the status quo. Identify what you want to accomplish, and develop a plan to move you forward. What do you need to change, and how?
What trials lie ahead with this change? How can you overcome the barriers that will, inevitably, make your changes uncomfortable, and how can you push past that to become your best self? If you need some help with this, check out my post on getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
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What will you accomplish by overcoming the obstacles and what greatness can you achieve? What is your version of the Promised Land that will make your Exodus worthwhile? What can you keep in sight to get you through the change and emerge victorious?
As always, I’m here to help you in your journey. If you feel stuck, if you’re not quite sure on where to go or what to do, reach out! I can help! If you just need a little push or a little help crystallizing your plan, schedule a quick question meeting. Need a more in-depth dive and some hand holding? Schedule a consultation. Let’s get you to your goal!
Blessings,
Melanie
