Over the past couple of years, I have made some bold statements in my life. Some of them on social media and some in my journal. And almost immediately after making each statement, something happened. I was ready for what I had stated I was going to do…but apparently, I needed testing.
What do we do when we have our minds set on something, but life throws us a curve, or we encounter a setback?
We have all had this happen. We decide we are going to do something...start a healthy habit, start saving, start decluttering…and then something happens. We injure ourselves, the car breaks down, our work schedule gets out of control…then what?
I believe that is when we carefully look at what we are trying to accomplish, see what we may need to change or alter, and we give ourselves grace. We put our heads down, lift our hearts up and do what we can until we can get past this setback or emergency.
As an example....Let's say you decided to start working out and the first week you have an injury. What then? I say, put your head down and figure out why you were injured. Did you push too hard, too fast? Was it an accident? Next, lift your heart up and pray, ask God for grace for yourself. We can be so hard on ourselves when we don't or can't do what we need to do.
Once you have done the above, do what you can. Learn what needs to be done to allow your body to recover and do it. While waiting on recovery is there something else you can do to keep your body active. If it’s a leg injury, can you sit in a chair and lift weights to work out your upper body.
An injury while working out is simply an example. You can apply the head down, heart up method to any area of your life and any curves you are given. Always take the time to analyze, if you will, what went wrong and look for the reason. Follow that with prayer and seeking God for direction and giving grace to yourself. Then and only then, proceed in a way that makes sense to you and your situation.
In the devotional "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp, there is a prayer at the end of day five. When reading through it I highlighted this sentence in that prayer. “Cause me to see all that encircles me today with new eyes of thankfulness." Think about that..."cause me to see". What do you need to see from your setback? How do you need to adjust your thoughts surrounding it?
One last thing…You may have heard me say this before, but it bears repeating….be as prepared as you can before you start out on any new venture. Preparation is key to so many areas of our lives, and when we are prepared, we get back on our feet quicker when those unexpected curves…setbacks occur.
With Purpose,
Cindy
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