MOVING FORWARD ◽ ENCOURAGEMENT
Small Changes
by Pam Charro
Have you ever heard the saying "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?" It isn't new to me, but only recently have I become aware of how much I needed to pay attention to it.
I was raised in clutter and chaos, and it's been stealing my peace for years, but I never really thought I could get free of it. I guess I have been telling myself, "Not everyone has the gift," or "It would take a huge and sudden change." But lately I'm realizing that isn't necessarily true.
There has been a specific area in my apartment that I would either ignore, or it would be in front of me when I would be trying to relax. And I would feel all of this guilt and anxiety, as though the clutter were literally stealing my breath!
One day, I told myself, "Okay, just start. You don't have to finish today. In fact, you will NOT finish today, just go for ten minutes."
It was so liberating to finally start instead of just sitting there feeling awful, and I was amazed at how much I got done in just ten minutes! The area is now completely clear, and I've started on other areas. The peace, freedom, and confidence I'm feeling in my ability to do something about my situation has been such a welcome change, and I'm now excited at the prospect of applying this to other areas of my life that have seemed too big for me to have the victory over. If I can do this, I will be able to do the next thing. And if, by making small changes, I can eventually become someone with new habits, it won't always be this hard. A year from now, I might be a completely different person, walking comfortably and naturally in new freedom.
Don't get me wrong -- I have a long way to go. I still feel anxious and overwhelmed and don't feel like changing, and I struggle to have the faith to try new things and change my perspective. But I have had enough victories to know that this is now possible, and I won't forget it! All because I felt the prompting to try something just a little bit uncomfortable and different, and God blessed it.
This isn't really so much about freedom from clutter -- it's about hope. I don't have to get everything right in order to start seeing good fruit. I am not helpless because God loves to show up when I have even the tiniest bit of faith and obedience, and even my small changes can result in big empowerment.