Take a Closer Look

The other day I was having lunch with a co-worker, and during the conversation she said something that struck a chord with me. The funny thing is, although she was talking about something physical regarding someone else, it hit me spiritually.  I told her she said a word and didn’t even know it LOL.

Confused, she smiled and said “Okay, well thank you Holy Spirit!”

She was sharing with me how a young lady she knows recently had a surgical procedure to fix her medical condition of crossed eyes.  She asked the young lady how she felt after receiving it, and the young lady replied that she couldn’t really tell the difference.  The young lady thought she still looked the same; however, everyone else around her could see the difference.  My co-worker noted how we’re so used to seeing ourselves a certain way that we can’t even tell when we’ve changed.

WOW! That hit me in my spirit!

See, earlier in the conversation this same co-worker kept correcting me when I said who I wasn’t and what I couldn’t do, as I shared with her my concerns about speaking/promotional opportunities for my new book.  The problem was that I was still seeing myself the way I used to be and not recognizing the change that had taken place.  And because of it, I was stopping myself from walking through doors that God was opening for me.

I had to remind myself that God wasn’t going to open a door without gracing and equipping me to walk through it.  I had to stop seeing myself as shy and a “behind the scenes” kind of person and perceive the boldness He has placed inside of me. How do I know He placed a boldness inside of me, even though it may not look like what I expected it to? I know because of where I am right now. It took boldness to release a book of poems that express such personal feelings and experiences.

Unfortunately, we get so used to praying and seeking God for things that we rarely stop and take note of how our situation has changed.

We need to stop looking for perfection and take notice of the progression!

I challenge you to take a closer look at yourself.  Take a moment to sit and meditate on how far you have come — better yet — on how far God has brought you. And in doing so, you’ll begin to notice how much you have really changed.

With love,

 Danielle Fennell