Stretching

I should have known. Except how could I, a woman who never, ever exercises truly understand what the word stretch would mean?

When God gave me this word for my year, I thought it would mean stretching my faith, by believing for impossibilities. I had a small inkling it might involve some discomfort in my life. But I had no idea that when God spoke stretch over me it would involve serious discomfort, tightness, and pain among other things.

I am only three weeks into my year and my practice of the word stretch. Of my own design I've decided to say yes to things that are outside my comfort zone. But then God started asking more of me.

In Bible study the other night our leader said that the better and deeper you desire to know God the higher level of righteousness you are required to walk in.

So far for me stretching and higher levels of righteousness include things like learning more about fasting. Knowing God, He's going to ask me to put into practice what I learn.

It also means reconsidering my entertainment. I've always had reasonably high standards about what I watch or listen to. But, it occurred to me that I am one with Christ. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, my heart the throne of the living God. This means that when I watch or listen to something I'm submitting God's eyes and ears to these things also. Do I feel comfortable knowing that God is right there with me watching the sex scenes and hearing dialogue full of foul language and sexual innuendo? What about the music I listen to? For me this means giving up my favorite tv show, perhaps eventually all tv. I don't know. It means re-evaluating some of the music I listen to.

Stretching also involves reaching out and asking for forgiveness from someone I hurt who also hurt me.

It looks like stretching will also involve me waking up earlier in the morning to spend more time with God. I'll be honest, for me this has been the most challenging thing so far. I really love my sleep and historically mornings have been difficult for me. But God said He would be waking me up earlier and I have to wonder when I wake up in the middle of the night to heed nature's call, is this God? Or is this just my body needing to relieve itself? So far, I've decided it's just my body talking, but that is mainly because I just want to go back to sleep.

There are other areas where I'm being stretched. And I have a feeling by the time this year is over and God has spent a year stretching me out, that I am going to find myself expanded, enlarged into a new shape and size, ready to hold more of His glory.