I live in Atlanta! If you know anything about Atlanta, you know that one of the main highways in the city is Interstate 285. Interstate 285 is a highway that loops the city. If you’re traveling I285 you will literally drive around and around in a circle until you get off at an exit. You will never leave the Atlanta area if you drive the complete circumference of the circle. And, you will end up exactly where you started even though you’ve spent over an hour in the car. So, when traveling I285, it is important to know where you are going and what exit you need to use to get there so that you don’t waste unnecessary time in the car.
So what does this have to do with getting to my destiny? Well, I equate driving I285 to a particular aspect of my life. See if one never gets off at an exit, one will begin to see the same things over and over again. And, in my life there is a situation that I keep seeing over and over again. It's been recurring for the past 10 years but each time with different players. Hence, I have concluded, until I get the lesson in the situation, I will continue to revisit that same lesson over and over and over again, just like driving I285 without ever exiting.
The situation is this: I find myself in situations that are extreme blessings for me, but in the exact place where I am receiving the blessing I seem to experience my most significant pains. Because of the way I was raised, my philosophy in dealing with this situation for so many years has been to dig my heels in and persevere in spite of the pain. After all, there is a saying that “winners never quit and quitters never win” or “anything worth having is worth fighting for”. Living with this belief, one cannot help to be committed to do whatever is necessary to hold on to the blessing. But living with this philosophy has been very debilitating.
I had breakfast with a colleague early this week and she helped me to see a different perspective. And, now I have concluded that I have been looking at this situation all wrong. I had to ask myself, am I really happy and being blessed if I am experiencing the blessing in the midst of so much pain? Perhaps negative forces understand that to keep me in pain and in bondage there has to be something that I get out of it (some benefit), otherwise it would be a no brainer for me to exit the mess. I thought about the fact that when God calls us to do something, there may be a struggle, but God will lay out the vision of that thing up front, so we know what we’re getting into. Things that are not coming from God come in the form of packages that LOOK good but are not good for us. The pain in the struggle to do God’s will is a different kind of pain than that which comes from something that looks good but ends up not being as such. So, I’m letting go of my winner take all mentality!! I’m letting stuff go that challenges my emotional well being for the sake of holding on to something i think I want or need. Doing so is not healthy, is not good and is not from God. It’s taken my at least 10 years to get there, but better now than never.
So I’m happy I’ve gotten this lesson. I was finally able to get off of the proverbial highway loop and much, much closer to my destiny. My prayer and hope is that you are able to recognize when you’re on such a heavily traveled loop and that you’re able to find your way to the nearest exit soon.
So what does this have to do with getting to my destiny? Well, I equate driving I285 to a particular aspect of my life. See if one never gets off at an exit, one will begin to see the same things over and over again. And, in my life there is a situation that I keep seeing over and over again. It's been recurring for the past 10 years but each time with different players. Hence, I have concluded, until I get the lesson in the situation, I will continue to revisit that same lesson over and over and over again, just like driving I285 without ever exiting.
The situation is this: I find myself in situations that are extreme blessings for me, but in the exact place where I am receiving the blessing I seem to experience my most significant pains. Because of the way I was raised, my philosophy in dealing with this situation for so many years has been to dig my heels in and persevere in spite of the pain. After all, there is a saying that “winners never quit and quitters never win” or “anything worth having is worth fighting for”. Living with this belief, one cannot help to be committed to do whatever is necessary to hold on to the blessing. But living with this philosophy has been very debilitating.
I had breakfast with a colleague early this week and she helped me to see a different perspective. And, now I have concluded that I have been looking at this situation all wrong. I had to ask myself, am I really happy and being blessed if I am experiencing the blessing in the midst of so much pain? Perhaps negative forces understand that to keep me in pain and in bondage there has to be something that I get out of it (some benefit), otherwise it would be a no brainer for me to exit the mess. I thought about the fact that when God calls us to do something, there may be a struggle, but God will lay out the vision of that thing up front, so we know what we’re getting into. Things that are not coming from God come in the form of packages that LOOK good but are not good for us. The pain in the struggle to do God’s will is a different kind of pain than that which comes from something that looks good but ends up not being as such. So, I’m letting go of my winner take all mentality!! I’m letting stuff go that challenges my emotional well being for the sake of holding on to something i think I want or need. Doing so is not healthy, is not good and is not from God. It’s taken my at least 10 years to get there, but better now than never.
So I’m happy I’ve gotten this lesson. I was finally able to get off of the proverbial highway loop and much, much closer to my destiny. My prayer and hope is that you are able to recognize when you’re on such a heavily traveled loop and that you’re able to find your way to the nearest exit soon.
