Rocky Part 2

So for the last two months, God has been working on in my heart, and I have been questioning why I do and act certain ways. One of the things He has pointed out to me was the need to be more self-aware. You talk about a knockout punch….that means I will have to list all the things I struggle with, write them down on paper….and face them!! Face a life time of doing things a certain way, let God deal and heal those things….then changing??

And to top it off, one of the messages that I was preparing for the students had to deal with being self-aware. So I was surrounded by it. I felt like I was going to be smothered…..like the air was just escaping from my lungs. I was like anything but this God!! But it was necessary. I could hear Him saying, Grant you have come a long way, but you can’t stay where you are….you have to move!! You have to continue to grow and learn.

So I began to prepare for this message, and I re-visited the book, Practicing Greatness, by Reggie Mc Neal. As I read the pages on the chapter titled “being self-aware”, I could feel God saying, let me heal you of some things. He then began to point out things in my life, through reading Practicing Greatness, which needed to be addressed.

Ever had anyone poke a muscle that was sore? That’s what it felt like when God was pointing these “character flaws” out in my life.  

Needless to say, when I finally let God “weed the garden” so to speak, I began to feel some hurts begin to heal. The issues I have with commitments and me taking them personal were being healed. Now just like it takes a broken bone a few months to heal, I am still allowing God to heal these areas of my life.

As God continues to show me the “weeds” that need to be pulled in my life, the more I figure out I need to rely on Him for strength, comfort, and wisdom. Just like when Paully tells Rocky to get rid of all the “stuff in the basement”, God is telling me to let Him clean out the basement of my heart, to allow Him to get rid of the excess baggage, hurt, and pain.

So I live my life out as a passionate follower of Jesus, not knowing all the answers, totally relying on Him to sustain me. Reminding myself every day that the Jesus I passionately follow should not be compartmentalized in one area of my life, but rather should rule and reign in EVERY aspect of my life.

That my friends is me making a conscious decision of getting off of the bench, and getting involved in the game……being active in the story that God is writing with me!!

Rocky part 1

I have to admit…..one of my favorite movies right now is the last Rocky movie, titled Rocky Balboa. You can call me shallow, weird, whatever, but this movie has everything. It shows a once famous, wealthy, Italian Stallone trying to deal with life in the best way he knows how. In the beginning of the movie we see that his wife, Adrian, who was his rock, has passed away. Yeah he still has ole “mentally irregular” Pauly still around, but he still feels like there is something he needs. Well if you have seen the movie, you know how the movie goes. If you have not seen the movie, I will not spoil it for you!!

There is this one particular part in the movie towards the end when he is fighting the Champ at the time, Mason Dixon.  It’s the 12^th round, and man he takes a shot from Dixon. As he feels his beaten up, bloody, bruised body falling, uncontrollably to the mat, he is able to drop to one knee and stabilize himself with his hand. He then has a conversation with himself

“What was it you said to the kid? It’s not how hard you can hit, but it’s how hard you can get hit…..and keep moving forward….how much you can take…and …keep…moving…forward.”

If you watch this part of the movie and you feel absolutely nothing, go ahead and place your right index and middle finger on the inside of your left wrist and check your pulse!!!

Now even though this is just a movie…..it’s more than that to me. I love the Rocky movies. They are very inspiring to me.

But I am able to identify with Rocky. This is how I apply this particular part of the movie to my life.  It’s not about how much you say you love and trust Jesus, it’s in those times when it feels like He is in another galaxy that you find out how much you truly love and trust Jesus.

There were many times, most recently around lunch time today, when I felt like there was about to be a TKO. But as I reflect on today’s events I can see that the peace of God was in the midst of my “turmoil”.

I’m taking about the hits that life throws at me, and I have no choice but to rely on the strength, mercy, and peace of God, and make a choice to trust in God, and to keep moving forward.

When your life feels like it’s in the 12th round and you are gasping for air….it hurts to breathe, then life throws a right cross and connects it to your chin……where’s your shalom!!

Is it knocked out for the count?

Does the ref hold up the “opponent’s” hands in victory?

Or are you able to trust in God and allow Him to give you the strength to get up, even though it hurts, look at the opponent like you are saying “that’s’ all you got”, and keep moving forward?

Without God as the center of my life….I am nothing, nothing more than a TKO!!!

Oh, but there is more to this than just movies, trust, and moving forward…….

New to this

Hello All!!!

My name is Grant...and if you know me this whole blogging thing is a stretch for me!! I work for a church in the New Orleans area as the “youth dude”! I love what I do! It’s what God designed me to do. I also love my family. I'm married to a lovely woman, who is the “ham” in my hamburger…..those of you who know me understand that analogy.  I have 2 beautiful children. A daughter who is 5, who is my princess, and a son who is 1 ½, who is fearless!!!

I enjoy playing with my kids, coffee, and a good book that can capture and maintain my attention, and of course sports. Once you get me talking, and I feel comfortable with you, it’s hard to get me to stop!! I am very teachable (at least I think so) and loyal!

I’m really not sure what I am supposed to blog about….like I said I’m new at this!! So if you want to leave a comment, by all means, please do so. Hopefully I will get better at displaying my thoughts for anyone to see, since I keep a lot of thoughts and ideas to myself.

So welcome to my journey……I hope you brought your walking shoes!!