359- Doing what needs to be done.

There has been a theme to my day.  In a sermon, in a movie, in conversations, the same theme kept coming up again and again.   The theme or message was this, "Do what needs to be done, keep going even when it is difficult, if you want results faith must include works...in essence keep moving."  Perhaps one of my favorite quotes of the morning was from a sermon,  "You are not creative, unless you create something."

There is no question I have spent much of my life dreaming of ideas without much follow through.  Today I was challenged to keep going, to work hard at following through, to be willing to take steps forward instead of thinking about taking steps.

I realize much of my issues with follow through are a result of my personality.  According to the Meyers-Briggs Assessment I am an ENFP.  With that comes a lot of things I like very much, but the area of follow through is for sure a challenge.  Here is what they say about follow through....

An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals. Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving.

I had never paid attention to the sentence that says I need time alone...  it is so true.  Even tonight, when I knew I needed to work on this blog, I finally told Chris I needed to go to the bed room so that I could focus.  It isn't that I can't blog with him around, I needed time to reflect about why I was going to do the hard work of getting it done and posting both yesterday and today's blog.  I needed time to reflect and remind myself why I am doing this and get the motivation to focus and get it done.

Today I read an article that made me want to respond, so I did.  I didn't think about it I did it.  This week I have lots of work that needs to get done for Pisgah, I have lots of work that needs to get done here at home, and I am going to do my best to keep my focus and get done what needs to be done.  HOWEVER!!!!!

I am going to do it with an understanding that this is the challenge for me, the work so to speak.  I am not going to shame myself or beat myself up because it is hard.  I am going to remember that who I am is also someone who has many qualities that can be used to do so much.

So tonight I am going to have a renewed conviction to keep taking one step at a time. Letting go of the (C) that says I'm a failure because this is my challenge.  Letting go of the (C) that makes this challenge what defines me instead of what challenges me.  Tonight I am trying to accept who God created me to be, while taking steps to let Him keep moving me forward.