A Swift Kick in the....PART 1
Happy Monday FOED Family! Sadly, it feels like it has been an eternity since I blogged last....because it has been. As usual, life happens and I tell myself that I will blog tomorrow or once things slow down. Well, things never slow down and tomorrow becomes the next day, and the next, and the next...
I have had a few blog ideas rolling around in my head for a month or so, but just haven't been able to pull together something concise. Every time that I sit down to try and collect my thoughts and write them down, I am bombarded with conflicting ideas and nothing seems to make sense. The I tell myself, "it will all come to me tomorrow"....and here we are a few months later.
There is one topic that stays in the forefront of my mind and keeps presenting itself in all areas of my life. That is usually a sign that I need to blog about it because if it is something that resonates with me, that I am pretty sure that it will for many of our followers as well. Throughout my blogs, there are a few common themes. One that I have touched on quite a few times is simple, yet complex at the same time. It is a word. Sounds simple enough, right? If taken for face value, yes, it's just a word. But if taken a little deeper and applying the principle behind this word in every life situation, good and bad, it can truly be a life-changer. At very least it can give a mental trigger and practical life application, especially on the days where there seems to be more darkness than light. It isn't always easy, but what in life truly is?
per·spec·tive
pərˈspektiv/ - noun
1. a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.
On the surface it is like countless other words, it is just a noun. A plain word like "tree" or "car". Some might read this and be tempted to not read any further. "Perspective...Where is the big epiphany Michael?" Stay with me. By the end of this blog series, I promise that this word will take on a whole new meaning.
For me, perspective is not just a static word anymore. I have stopped viewing it as a noun and started viewing it more as an action. Grammatically, no, that doesn't make any sense, but in life application, it is a game-changer.
By now, the FOED Family know my personal struggles with BD, and my past with ED. As any others who struggle with the same issues knows all too well, there are bad days, really bad days, and then the days that you don't want to get out of bed. If we are lucky, the "just ok" days are a triumph. Sadly, this is the existence for so many of us on a daily basis. ED and BD loom over us every minute of every day and rob us of our happiness. Our families and friends, those closest to us , only get part of the real us because ED and BD overwhelm EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT. We miss out on holidays, kid's parties, vacations, anniversaries....all of the amazing blessings in life. Physically we may be present, but mentally and emotionally ED/BD are pulling us further into the darkness and away from God's light.
This is one area where I feel that God has really made His presence known in my life. These bad days happen all too often, and there isn't much that I can do to stop them. My pants fitting too tight is a common trigger and can start the downward spiral. When this happens, my visceral thought is to cower and hide...physically and emotionally. This is where I feel that God has stepped in. In those times, following the initial dark thought, I now have a built-in response trigger. That response trigger is what I call PERSPECTIVE. When the darkness tries to overtake my mind, the light (perspective) fights back and overpowers it. It is in these times that I feel that I am living John 1:5 - "There is light in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it".
Well that just sounds SUPER easy, all rainbows and unicorns, right? I can hear it now... "Thanks for making me read this whole stupid post only to give me some fluffy Jesus answer". Look at it this way instead...
For me, this is one of the most important topics for me to blog about because there is an actual practical life application. I don't want to rush through it and throw everything into one post because (1) it is too important and (2) it is info overload. Personally, my attention span gets thinner and thinner when I am daunted by reading too much text and I end up grazing over the latter half and retain about 3% of it. Instead, I am breaking this up into a series where each point gets the attention that it deserves.
Thanks for reading and being part of the Faith Over ED Family. I will be back later this week with PART 2 of "A Swift Kick in the..."
Much Love,
-Michael
