It Is Just A Mountain!

Yesterday morning we were shocked (not-so-shocked) that, on her own terms, Sassy tackled and has conquered the task of potty training. She was not having it the three times Mom introduced the idea. She pouted, pushed away and even became petulant. She was able to say, "I want a diaper, I am a baby." She was ready physically but not up to change and challenge.

Sassy is sassy but not totally fearless. We recently bought her a pink motorized jeep. It took her a while to be willing to actually drive it by herself. She would push the peddle it would jerk and she would let up with a look of "maybe this is a bad idea." After some time of consternation she would push and jerk to a stop again. Push, jerk, stop pause.What makes her persevere?

Sassy swinging high!

This - Her swinging career started much like her driving career Push - Jerk to a stop - then pause. Then go again. The only difference was GiGi was behind her saying, "you've got this...you are brave...you do hard things!" Now when she swings at the first sign of butterflies she tells herself, "I am brave, swing me higher GiGi!"

Do hard things is a theme of our family. It isn't about being the best, the fastest or having the most wins. Do hard things means we look at mountains and start climbing. We come to walls and look for a way around them or over them (sometimes under them). Hard things are only hard until you do them, then God gets you through it and the "hard" goes away. When God enters, hard things are just "thing." A mountain is just a mountain.

Here are a couple of my kids doing hard things:

Alli trying a raw oyster (gross is hard)

Dylan holding a 50lb Boa (crazy is hard)

Jill chasing Sassy, teaching, tutoring and being a pastor's wife all while going to school

God calls us into hard things. In 1 Kings 19  Elijah killed all the false prophets with a sword and feared for his life. Jezebel was out for revenge! He was so weary and tired he found a bush and laid down hoping to die. An angel of the Lord brought him food and water and then said, "get up and go to the mountain!" THEN he got to the mountain and went back to bed in a cave. God came and asked "What are you doing??" After Elijah explained how hard everything had been God didn't tell him to give up, pause, take a nap. He told Elijah to go up the mountain. Up the mountain he went; God strengthening him all the way. After several natural disasters Elijah heard the sustaining voice of God. The hard things he did brought Him face to face with God Almighty; redeemer, sustainer, empowerer. 

Same with Sassy and her jeep. While the adults were scurrying to get to church, showering, loading cars, etc. she went outside, got in her jeep and drove it off the porch. Trying to go down the stairs she missed and landed upside down under the jeep in a bush. She was ok...muddy in her church clothes...but ok! She told GiGi later it was ok, she was brave! 

Why do we shy away from a life that is challenging? I feel it is because we aren't sure what will happen and we just might fail. But God didn't' call us to a life that is easy. God called us to a life that places us in a spot where we need Him. An easy life is a life without God. Push yourself, push yourself right into a life reliant and placed in the path of God! You claim to have Jesus within you - You are sanctified. "Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy—it is drawing from Jesus the very holiness that was exhibited in Him, and that He now exhibits in me."[Chambers, Oswald (2010-10-22). My Utmost for His Highest, Updated Edition] You don't just have the power of God behind you - you have the power within you! Hard things are just a thing. What are you doing?