Make Your Own Path Straight
Welcome to my first official post since launching my new website! This is an entirely new program for me, and I admit that I have been pretty frustrated — to the point that I have allowed that frustration to interfere with my creative flow and stifle my progress 😠. I am pleased to share that I am finally learning (slowly) how to navigate my way through my website. Yay me! 😀
Now, some truly exciting news! Two days ago I did something very unexpected and very brave (for me). I — wait for it — uploaded my first-ever video on my brand new YouTube channel! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 It was unplanned and unrehearsed, but it was straight from my heart; and even though the quality of the video is not perfect (okay, let’s be real, it’s not even in the same ballpark as “perfect”), the message is pretty great. Most importantly, this was me taking a risk — putting myself out there and opening myself up to ridicule, criticism, and judgement.
Why would I do this?
Because I had a giant epiphany that struck so suddenly, and with such an impact, that I had to laugh at myself for not realizing it sooner.
I tell my students — frequently — that they cannot expect to be great at anything the first time they try it. Take writing, for example. Even naturally gifted writers (do those actually exist?) don’t get it perfect the first time. Learning how to write well requires lots of deliberate practice with specific feedback and multiple edits. If they could do it perfectly the first time, there would be no need for a teacher. Am I right? As their teacher, I encourage them to just try! Give me the best you’ve got right now, and then I can help you get better.
If I truly believe this (and I do), why then, have I not been willing to take my own advice?
The truth? I have never been comfortable making myself vulnerable to the negative opinions of “others.” I don’t want my work to be viewed as “less than perfect.” Hah! What a laugh! What a deceitful ploy from that father of all lies. As if anything we do would ever be good enough to satisfy the “others” — those starving critics who live to criticize us for trying to improve ourselves!
Crabs in a bucket!
When one crab clammers to climb its way out of a bucket (after all, we all know the fate of the ones who don’t make it out 😳), the other crabs in the bucket literally grab onto the crab and pull it down. This is not a made up allegory–you can google it and watch this for yourself. And let’s face it, sometimes we are the worst of them all because we convince ourselves that we aren’t special enough to climb out of the bucket. Instead we stay put and don’t even try.
So what does all this talk of critics and crabs have to do with the title of this blog post?
It suddenly struck me this past weekend that I no longer care about the opinions of those critics who laugh at me — or poke fun at me — or think I’m stupid for trying to climb out of my bucket. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and wiser. Or maybe … just maybe … I have discovered something so profoundly powerful and liberating that the opinions of THOSE people simply no longer matter to me. You see, THOSE people are not my audience. They are not the people who love and support me. They are not the people who want to see me achieve success. They are not the people who want to join me on my journey to create something new for myself.
THOSE people are the crabs in my bucket! 👎🏼
On Sunday, the members of our Gospel Doctrine class had a “Come, Follow Me” discussion about the doctrines and principles taught in Matthew 3, Luke 3, and Mark 1. During our discussion, our teacher shared an insight that made my world shift on its axis. It was just a tiny little phrase tucked into a familiar verse found the Book of Luke. Suddenly, the heavens opened and a flood of light flowed in a direct path from the presence of deity straight into my finite and flawed brain. Of course, you could ask anyone in the class if they saw this occur and they would say no. Yet, I experienced it just the same.
Our teacher quoted Luke 3:4-6, “…Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” After reading these verses, our teacher asked us what we thought Luke meant by “make His paths straight.” At first, we responded with the usual interpretations — The path from us to God is a straight and narrow path, there is only one way for us to enter the kingdom of God, etc. Then he asked the question that I have never thought of — Why does the Lord need us to make the path to Him straight? Hasn’t that already been done? The straight (and narrow) path back to God’s presence was determined long before our world began. The question, then is this: Does God have a direct path to us? Or have we made His path to us crooked? Have we put obstacles in our path that keep the divine flow of revelation from reaching us? Have we created valleys or built mountains between us and God that limit His power to exalt us?
Mind completely blown!
The challenge then, for each of us is obvious. We need to take whatever action(s) necessary to MAKE OUR OWN PATHS STRAIGHT, so that we can receive all that God has to give us.
As I sat pondering this Sunday afternoon, I realized that this spiritual principle has direct correlation to our temporal pursuits as well. Over the years, I have allowed circumstances to become mountains or valleys or obstacles on the path between me and the fulfillment of my temporal dreams. Maybe I did not create the circumstances, but I have given them power to keep me from pursuing that which will bring me true fulfillment and joy.
So, with this amazing epiphany, I have determined to remove the obstacles that stand between me and my dreams. Fear of failure or ridicule and judgement being the first to go! God may have prompted me to become an author, a teacher, a coach, a speaker, but He never said He would clear the path for me and make it easy! He has left the work up to me! If I am willing to take the risks, to put in the effort, to give Him my very best, to come up with a plan that will get me as close as I can to my goal, THEN God will make the magic happen, and He will take care of the parts that I cannot do for myself.
THAT, my friends, is GRACE!
I invite you to share this journey with me, and I invite your experience and insights to help me improve along the way. I invite you to follow this blog and to subscribe to my YouTube channel. If you haven’t done so already, please click on the link above. If you like my message, please share it with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Peace out, my friends! Until next week.
