"Crash! Bam! Boom!!!" What was that noise?
From the other side of the house, I knew it wasn't a good sound.
Upon further inspection I found a strong gust of wind blew my bedroom lamp off of a table and onto the floor. Seeing pieces lying around, I quickly figured out that it was broken.
Honestly, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. It was old and inexpensive. The lampshade needed to be replaced anyway. How much could a new lamp cost anyway?
No big deal....until I started looking at lamps online.
That's when I realized that the wonderful world of lighting has changed since I last purchased a lamp (in my twenties---don't laugh at how long ago that was!)
I couldn't find a lamp with the type and wattage of light bulb I was accustomed to using. Instead there were all these descriptions of new light bulbs that seem to work on a new system that I do not understand. Like Peter Brady trying to sing when his voice was changing, my voyage into the new world of lighting was AWKWARD.
It was like reading a foreign language.
Which light bulb do I want?
Will it be bright enough or too bright (like the lights in hotels that totally freak me out by revealing every blemish, wrinkle, and gray hair---I really don't want one of those!).
Where were the ones with the basic 150 watt incandescent bulbs???
That's when I started to get frustrated.
I just wanted to pick a pretty light----not to learn something new.
So I followed my usual pattern and said, "This is crazy---I give up."
Only problem is that I'm not a fan of the dark. Hence, I'm going to have to learn about the new way lamps are sold because the old lamp is broken.
As I was contemplating my dilemma (okay pouting and complaining about it) I started thinking about how my silly lamp situation parallels more important things in life.
The truth is sometimes there are area of our lives that are broken, and the only way to fix the situation is to learn new things.
Sometimes that means we need to learn Gods ways of doing things according to the Bible.
Other times we need to read a book by someone who has walked this road before us, or go to a counselor who will help us learn to make better choices and make modifications to our behavior.
Because the ultimate truth is that even though learning new things and making lifestyle changes seems frustrating, it's the only way to grow, to overcome and become the women God wants us to be. While often times we want our circumstances to change, the Holy Spirit wants to change us.
This can only happen as we are open to learning Gods ways (even when they are new to us) and then applying them to our lives.
I know that on my own personal journey to healing, This was a key.
As I learned what the Bible said I could apply it to my life.
When I learned how forgiveness really worked, I was able to embrace it.
As I submitted to the teaching and even corrective criticism of godly men and women, I was able to grow, change, heal, and thrive beyond what I ever dreamed or imagined.
So I get it learning new things isn't easy---but it is so worth it. I believe as you apply this principle to your life, you'll find the value in learning new things just as I did.
By the way, I did eventually find a lamp---and its purple!!!!
To Learn More About Embracing God's New Way of Life, check out Finding Healing:
