Crawling Is Worthwhile

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Crawling“We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:9-10

I read these verses last weekend, because I was struggling. I was frustrated, and I didn’t know what caused this emotion. I decided to pray. To pray a real prayer. A “I’m-gonna-cry-until-my-eyes-are-red” prayer. A “I’m-not-making-any-sense” prayer. Yet, God knew what I was trying to say.

Once I finished talking to God, I looked through the Bible and stopped at Paul’s words. I admire Paul, because he still served God throughout all of his trials. This man was beaten, jailed, and shipwrecked. Yet, he possessed joy.

As you may know from my last post of 2015, I decided that I would cultivate more joy in my life in 2016. I vowed to read the Word more and to embrace hangouts with family and friends. I feel as though I have made some progress with the goal. I am reading the Word more, and I am excited when I have my family/ friend chill times.

But last weekend, I was overwhelmed with the goal. I questioned my ability to focus on it. I wondered if it was pointless. I wanted to know if I would continue to take two steps forward and one step back. But worthwhile goals must be endured. They require work.

As it is only February, I should not be disappointed with myself for the small progress that I have made. I should celebrate what I have done.  

I used to hear my dad say “You have to crawl before you walk.” When a baby is born, he does not immediately walk.  He usually experiences milestones such as laying on his tummy, rolling over, creeping, crawling, and finally walking. His mama cheers with him at each milestone. When baby takes his wobbly first steps, he is afraid. Mama is clapping her hands and shouting “C’mon! You can do it!” Baby is whining for Mama’s help.

Eventually, baby walks with boldness. He explores under the table.  He bangs pots and pans under the sink.  For baby, walking equals expansion and creativity.

Expansion is slow for me, but it is happening.

How are y’all doing with your goals so far? Please let me know so we can pray and support each other!

And take a listen to one of my favorite Mavis Staples’ songs. A few years ago, my friend JH and I saw Ms. Staples in concert, and she rocked out with her warm, deep voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “Crawling Is Worthwhile”

  1. Keep pursuing your joy! I believe God will reward you for your discipline in reading more of the Word, even when you don’t feel immediate results. I would also say, expect opposition from the enemy. He LOVES distracting us from our purpose and from grasping the truth of God’s word, because he knows that’s where our authority and power lies. Shoot, you got me preaching to myself! I’m going to make a commitment to more independent study of the Bible, and not just at the end of the night when I’m tired and choose to skim a psalm so I can go to bed. Even though I’m so not morning person, maybe there’s something to be said for offering the start of your day to Him.

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    • Hey Faith! Thanks so much for reading and for encouraging me. I so agree with you about the enemy. He’s not doing his job if he’s not pestering me. He doesn’t want me to reach my potential but God does! I can meditate on his powerful Word. Lol….I’m not a morning person either even though I get up early. But I like your idea of reading the Word in the morning versus at night when exhaustion hits.

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  2. Great post! My goal this year is to be more present. I am n ot doing so well! With a 1yo and a 3yo, I feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off! I feel like I am too exhausted, but I will get there! Thanks for linking up with us and hope you come back next week! #BloggerSpotlight

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    • Thank you so much for reading! I agree that you will get there. It may take baby steps to get there but it will happen. I commend you for all that you do with two kids under the age of five. I’m not a mom but I think being a mom is the hardest job ever.

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  3. Hey Monica! I’ll be praying for you too. But I think what Faith said is key: the enemy attacks when we really start to dig in. I’m reading fervent and Priscilla says this “our enemy devalues our strengths and magnifies our insecurities until they dominate how we see ourselves.” But when we spends time in prayer it reminds us of how God sees us–our true identity.

    This may seem a bit off topic, but we’ve talked about identity before…so I wanted share. Much love, Simone

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    • Hey Simone! Thanks so much reading and for your prayers. I really appreciate the encouragement. You are fabulous. I definitely agree with you. My identity is in Christ. Prayer and reading the Word confirms that. It’s that constant reminder that makes me stronger. Blessings to you and I will be praying for you as well.

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