OK my friends, are you ready to go on a little journey with me? It won’t be easy. We’re going to have to give up some things. But I think the reward will be so worth it.
Here’s the deal. I’ve been reading Lysa TerKeurst’s new book The Best Yes, which is all about filtering through the endless demands of life and listening to God in order to discern what to say “yes” to. Last night while reading I had a bit of an “ah-ha” moment. Lysa wrote about how in order to receive the best things — the things God truly wants for us — sometimes we have to release the unhealthy things we’re holding on to.
Think about that room or closet in your house. You know the one. That room you don’t allow visitors to see? It’s crammed full of stuff you’re holding on to that you probably don’t use, but you’re sure you will need some day. Maybe it even has boxes that haven’t been unpacked since your last move. That room or closet totally bothers you because you can’t use it properly, nor can you find anything that’s in there when you actually need it. Yet, you put off cleaning it out and getting rid of things because it’s easier to just hold on to it. So instead you are missing out on being able to use that room or closet for something better.
Of course, a cluttered room is pretty prosaic and commonplace. But I bet you have more significant areas of your life that are begging to be released of something so you can receive the blessings God has in store for you. I know I have a few.
So, here’s what I’m doing. Tomorrow starts a new month so it’s the perfect opportunity to start initiating some change. I have identified two areas of my life where I need to release in order to receive. Both of which, I believe, are contributing to my constant fatigue.
The first thing I’m going to release is evening TV. Every night it’s the same story. I finally get the kids in bed and collapse on the couch about 9 or 9:30 p.m. The TV comes on so I can try to decompress from the day. But instead of just watching for an hour and then getting to bed at a decent time I end up staying up way too late because one show never seems like enough or I am too busy multi-tasking and lose track of time. And when you start your work-day at 6 a.m., going to bed at midnight is not a healthy habit. Inevitably I’m tired the next day, which can make me cranky, short-tempered, and unmotivated.
The second thing I’m going to release is late-night snacking. A regular companion of the evening TV is the late-night snacking, usually on something unhealthy. Not only does this work to sabotage my healthy eating goals, it also interrupts my sleep and/or makes me feel bad in the morning.
So starting tomorrow, and for every day in October I plan to find a better way to spend my evenings. Instead of TV I’ll read, talk to my husband, work on my blog, or even clean out a closet or two! And if I crave something to eat I’ll have a piece of fruit or green smoothie instead.
I don’t know yet what will happen by releasing these bad habits. But I am open to receiving whatever good things God has in store for me. And I have a feeling that by the time October 31 rolls around I will be feeling a bit more rested and restored. Of course, I’ll keep you updated along the way.
So who wants to join me? Are there things in your life you could release in order to make room to receive God’s blessings? I encourage you to pray about what areas of your life could use some release. If you do decide to join me and feel comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear from you!
Release to receive 31 day challenge
