SURVIVING UNCERTAINTY TAKES FLEXIBILITY
Everyday the updates change. Yesterday we were on pause waiting to see if the Mayor was going to issue a Stay At Home order (…holding breath…). By the evening the Governor rejected it and the City officials said there is no need. (Ok…. Release your breath…breathe)
This morning’s Headline News read, “Mayor is fighting for the Stay At Home order again!”
(No wait, Hold your breath again….).
If there is one thing I am learning about uncertain times, it’s that flexibility is a must.
You would think this would have come natural to me being that I have a business degree. It’s something they teach in Economics. If a company is not willing to change with the times and be flexible in the industry as the economy and society changes, they will not survive the market.
I never thought it applied to my personal life.
I’m a problem solver and “uncertainty” in my mind registers as something that has to be fixed, an Error message appears and I just can’t move forward until I have a solution & clear direction.
If I can be honest, more times than not this year, I have felt like I was on a rocky boat, seasick and completely uncomfortable with not knowing where it would land. I felt more comfortable laid back on calm waters, with the journey mapped out and a destination in mind; I was just fine in my routine, my flow, and my constant, (thank you!) Unfortunately, that is where my false stability was, in the constant and the comfort of my own known.
This unique time has taught me that rigidity and stringent plans have no grounds in the midst of ambiguity. As things change from day to day, like waves tossed in the ocean, you don’t know where the boat will end up or how you will get there. Even James tells us that we shouldn’t get comfortable in what we think our tomorrow will bring (James 4:13-17).
My plans had been “on hold”, unable to make decisions, or move forward. I was overwhelmed because I didn’t feel stable. But I couldn’t find stability because, it didn’t exist where I was looking.
Uncertainty brings change and that means we have to charter unstable waters to get there. Change is never easy and I often tend to seek stability in what I know, here on earth.
But the world will always change, people will always change, circumstances will always change.
This means I might have to let go of some things. Yikes! You mean, like, my routine has to change? How I connect with someone has to change? …How do I know I can do it? …How do I know it will work out? ….Wait, does this mean I’m still scared of change?
Ugh! I thought I got over that!
The Unknown brings to surface all the underlying fears that I thought I had dealt with.
Fear of something different. Fear of failure. Fear of what others will think if it doesn’t work out. As I learn to redirect my heart to God’s Truth, I realize that these fears no longer live within me, but when I seek stability elsewhere, I do open a door for them to creep back in. In the face of these thoughts I have to recite the Truth that does live in me, the Truth that I don’t have to let these fears re-consume my thoughts and hold my journey hostage.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
“Be Still…Move Forward”
I am grateful for God’s sweet unwavering voice that reminds me to “Be still and move forward”.
It’s the words He has spoken to me over the past three years as we have navigated through some trembling waters and unsound times. It’s His way of reminding me to focus on the Peace He has for me (Phil 4:7), be still, anchored in His promises & presence, yet flexible, allowing Him to be my courage and guide through any new territory. Things will always evolve, and we will still have to flow, just a little differently, that’s all. We don’t have to fear the change, what it will look like, or what we will look like going through it (disclaimer: I can be a hot mess!! LOL).
You may be on a rocky boat, and you may not know where it’s going, but what I can tell you is that it IS chartered somewhere, because regardless of the world’s evolving uncertainties, God always has a plan, a plan not only for His glory but for your growth. You just have to be willing to flow with His current. Boy am I excited to see where our boats land.
Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4 (AMP)
About the Author: Loriana
Loriana has been involved in women’s ministry for over 10 years. She is passionate about helping women understand their true identity in Christ. As she grows in her love for God’s Word, so does her desire to see others grow in their relationship with one another and in Christ. On the best days, you can find Loriana in slippers, curled up on her chair with a really good cup of Cuban coffee and a book. She believes wholeheartedly that making your bed sets the tone for your day, breakfast should be considered for all meals, and a wide variety of earrings are essential to a woman’s wardrobe. She lives in sunny Florida with her husband, Anthony and 2 teen daughters.
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