Small Adjustments!

It has been several months since I found myself sitting in a church hearing a Pastor speak a word that was directly for me. "Small Adjustments" I would hear him say over and over again. And each time he would speak it I could feel the words settling deeper in my spirit. It was a word meant for right then... and yet all these months later, it's still permeating my heart.

Most who know me will tell you I tend to be an all or nothing, overly passionate, black and white, make a decision kind of woman. Because of that, when I do anything, I seek results. I want to see fruit come out of whatever I have decided to think, feel, say, or do. This is not a negative part of me, in fact most of the time it's important. But as I'm learning more about myself and the Lord, I'm learning that every season, situation, and lesson requires a little something different... sometimes it requires small, simple strides forward instead of large leaps and bounds.

With the new year having just begun, I am being reminded of the importance of this thought. As I watch friends and family setting their resolutions, and goals and as I process through my own goals, I can hear the Spirit reminding me: "small adjustments, one step at a time." I love how the Lord uses things in our lives that we didn't even realize were lessons to teach us things that will bring great change.

I have consistently been going to a chiropractor for over a year now. Throughout that time I have learned a lot about the chiropractic process. One big take away has been: when my ankle is out of alignment it will effect my knee, which in turn will have an effect of my hip, and that will then cause my whole back/spine to be out of sorts. One small thing, one minor misalignment can cause your whole body to feel and act wonky. But, with consistency in recognizing the misaligned parts and dedication to bringing them back in to alignment, you can avoid the mess of your whole body becoming misaligned.

And the same goes for your spirit, heart, & mind.

When we are experiencing issues in our lives, it can always be traced back to a misalignment. Sometimes it can be the result of poor choices, sometimes it can be passed down generationally, and sometimes it can even be things we won't let go of. (In fact as I'm writing this, I feel like someone reading needs to forgive a prominent person in their life. If that's you, please don't wait to ask the Lord to help you choose forgiveness.) There is always a root that needs dealing with in order to find yourself aligned... and sometimes the best way to address it is with a small, consistent adjustments to your life.

If we go back to what I mentioned about myself a few paragraphs ago, you can probably guess why this has been an ongoing lesson in my life. When I see something in me that is not right, or not functioning the way it should, I am always quick to want complete resolution and freedom immediately. This, wherein lies the problem. And this is where the small adjustments come in to play.

Say I tried to cold-turkey uproot, realign, heal, and solve every issue in my heart all at one time... that would be a lot, too much to handle. As a fallible and very imperfect human being, I would most certainly become a crazy person going through all of that at one time. I would not learn any lessons from the process; And I would not get the chance to recognize the testimony of God's hand working in my life. BUT, if I patiently and consistently allowed the Lord to work on me bit by bit, I know the outcome would be sweeter and more beneficial to me as a whole person.

I am thankful that the Lord is teaching me how to be a better me through this lesson. I am thankful that I am learning that it's not failure for a process to start small and inch it's way forward... progress is progress. It is ok for me to trust and obey when the Lord asks me to make small adjustments. And it is beneficial to my spirit, heart, and mind to take my time in growing and stretching. My whole being benefits from the small adjustments, one step at a time.

So if you are feeling overwhelmed by the resolutions and goals you've set for this year, I want to encourage you: don't rush the process and miss all you could gain from within it. And please, please don't let yourself be discouraged when the progress seems to be at a crawl. As long as you're moving forward you are in a good place. Lastly, trust the Lord... He knows best what tweaks and twirks you need to be the best you. May you be ever encouraged by His small adjustments in your life.