The Gift of Desperation
Recently I was listening to an R+F consultant tell her story. She was married to a pastor, homeschooled her six, counte 'em, SIX children, played piano in the church, taught piano lessons, and ran a drop ship bakery service. Her husband also had a painting and dry wall business, and it had flat dried up. No money coming in for 4 weeks. Their savings as caput, and they needed to do something to keep food on the table. So they decided to open a bakery. But the thought of opening the bakery filled our friend with serious anxiety and dread. How was she going to continue running this huge household while also working full time in a bakery! She went to God and asked him for clear direction-- within 24 hours. Now we all know that we aren't supposed to test God but she was pressed, and she needed an answer. So she went back to Him and said, "Really! I need you to tell me what you want me to do!"
The next day her mother called and invited her to her sister's R+F launch party.
She declined,"I don't have the time to run over there!"
Mom called back.
She declined, "I don't have any money to spend on make up!"
Mom called back,"Just ride with me, you don't have to do anything else."
She finally accepted,"Ok. I'll ride with you."
That day in 2008 her life changed forever.
She started working the R+F business. In 2008 there wasn't nearly the buzz that there is now. She threw 6 launch events and no one came. What made her throw the 7th? 8th? 9th? What compelled her to keep going, keep trying, keep persevering?
I believe it was desperation. She had no other options. She needed this to work so she could feed her children. I have been there. When I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I simply couldn't live in the way that I had been living. I had to do something different and God granted me the 'gift of desperation'. It is a gift.
When things are tolerable, just ok or pretty good we don't make the changes that could bring our 'just ok' to great. I also believe that the window of opportunity to seize this gift and do something about it is small. We are granted that moment of clarity, that moment when we see what is. We can go back to sleep and keep on the same way that we are going, living in a low grade misery, or mired in mediocrity or we can reach out and do something.
What is is about us as human beings that we don't move until it's un-freaking-bearable? I don't know. I pray that my pain threshold is higher these days, that change doesn't require me to be beat down into a state of desperation. I believe that we can decide to make a change, we can decide to do something different. We can decide today to take action that could be life changing...
What will you do today that could change your life?
The next day her mother called and invited her to her sister's R+F launch party.
She declined,"I don't have the time to run over there!"
Mom called back.
She declined, "I don't have any money to spend on make up!"
Mom called back,"Just ride with me, you don't have to do anything else."
She finally accepted,"Ok. I'll ride with you."
That day in 2008 her life changed forever.
She started working the R+F business. In 2008 there wasn't nearly the buzz that there is now. She threw 6 launch events and no one came. What made her throw the 7th? 8th? 9th? What compelled her to keep going, keep trying, keep persevering?
I believe it was desperation. She had no other options. She needed this to work so she could feed her children. I have been there. When I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I simply couldn't live in the way that I had been living. I had to do something different and God granted me the 'gift of desperation'. It is a gift.
When things are tolerable, just ok or pretty good we don't make the changes that could bring our 'just ok' to great. I also believe that the window of opportunity to seize this gift and do something about it is small. We are granted that moment of clarity, that moment when we see what is. We can go back to sleep and keep on the same way that we are going, living in a low grade misery, or mired in mediocrity or we can reach out and do something.
What is is about us as human beings that we don't move until it's un-freaking-bearable? I don't know. I pray that my pain threshold is higher these days, that change doesn't require me to be beat down into a state of desperation. I believe that we can decide to make a change, we can decide to do something different. We can decide today to take action that could be life changing...
What will you do today that could change your life?
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