Start Something
FMF prompt — “Start”
Five-Minute Friday writing prompts
One of my favorite hobbies is participating in the Five-Minute Friday writing prompts! I find it to be a very satisfying challenge. I try to listen for the Holy Spirit’s leading and then use that as my guide as I play with the prompt just to challenge myself and have fun!
Today’s prompt is the word “Start”.
I, on purpose, do not read what others have written on this day because I want what I write to be fresh and a revelation to me. Hopefully for my readers as well.
The message that rings through my spirit is “Just start!”
Today’s challenge
For today’s challenge, I think there will be many who will be led to the same thought flow from this prompt.
Personally, I have been walking-the-challenge of coming back from a rather invasive operation — healing and strengthening, concentrating on a healthier life, and preserving the life that I have been given.
When we do nothing in terms of our physical health, it is like we are standing in a brisk current. We are often pushed backward, and we lose ground slowly— sometimes almost imperceptibly — until, one day, we awaken to the fact that we are nowhere near the place we used to be.
I know that, as we age, our bodies begin to let us down in many areas. We glibly accept it as fact.
Oh well, I am getting older; what else can I expect?
Often, a medical confrontation changes our perspective — the probability of a knee replacement, the possibility of a heart attack, or the presence of diabetes. None of these are fun or even anything we want to face at any time with ourselves or our loved ones.
I have heard the phrase recently “motion is lotion”, obviously in connection to hurting joints or muscles.
If you happen to have several physical issues, it is easy to say things like:
“I can’t. I just can’t. I can’t do this. I can’t do that. Are you kidding? There is no way, man!”
The truth is there is always something we CAN do. We need to change our focus — maybe even our attitude — and just start!
That’s right. Start!
Find one thing you can do. Maybe that is walking, maybe hand or arm exercises. Maybe you can only do it for 5 minutes at a time. The point I am learning is that we need to start somewhere.
Each new day, start!
After a while, the 5 minutes becomes easy. Then, we can move to ten, and so on.
If you don’t know where to begin, find a small way to begin, and you can even pray about where to go from there.
Personally, I do have more limitations than I would like to have, but I started walking — more out of necessity than wanting to. I knew I needed to do more, but I did not know what, or how I could do, more.
If physical barriers aren’t your problem, maybe you have transportation or financial barriers. I know you can relate.
We all have barriers.
The cool news is that, when you start and keep starting every day, you will see some results. Also, if you pray and keep doing what you can, the doors will open for you to do more.
I’ve started
I have started by making sure I walk every day. My goals are very small, but I am endeavoring to accomplish this one small goal every day. Last week was the first time I really felt results. I began to have just a little more energy, which encouraged me to make sure I continued to start like that every day.
I have been praying and looking for other alternatives that will help me accomplish some of the things professionals have made clear that I need to work on.
I was very excited to find a YouTube program for beginners called Walk at Home. I watched it first, to see if I thought I would be able to do it. It looked like I could do most of the simple exercises, so I tried it.
Yes, I started.
I am no Olympic athlete because of it, nor will I be, but I have started. And I can look forward to good things coming as a result of it.
Many of us can relate to this scenario.
The same principle can be applied to our spiritual walk
“I know I should study my Bible,” we say.
I should read the word every day. I need to pray more. I need to step out in faith more.
What comes to your mind? What are your shoulds?
What do you feel you need to do to be more spiritually fit?
I can almost hear it — “I should, but I don’t know where to start…”
Find one small thing that heads you in that direction and start
Maybe it means reading one verse a day. Maybe it means putting the Daily Bread in your bathroom or on your nightstand, where you will be prompted to pick it up.
There are many formulas and how-tos out there.
You have to find out what will work for you. Luckily, we have a helper called the Holy Spirit, Who will help us if we will “start” and rely on Him. That means listening to the prompt that comes in your spirit that says:
“I need to stop ____________, and go and do ___________.”
This was never meant to be a burden or a list of must-dos, but if we will start and choose to make one choice at a time, following the prompting of the Spirit will become a joy and a source of strength.
I was so excited this week because, many times, it is how we view things that change everything — even our willpower.
A good physical example was given to me a while ago:
Think of calories as your budget. You have 2000 to spend in one day. What will you choose to spend them on?
That is way different than the dreaded thought: I can’t have that because it has too many calories.
So, spiritually, what if we began to see spending time in the word not as I gotta read the word and instead start thinking of it as getting to read a love letter from a dear friend?
What if we start looking at each verse asking, what is this saying to me? We could even personalize the verse so we can see the revelation begin to unfold. Praying the verse back to God can open up a conversation. When we start to see prayer as a conversation with our truest and best friend we will definitely change our perspective on the dreaded list to pray through.
I am so glad God started something
He chose us, as Ephesians 1 tells us. I was so excited this week when I read that He lovingly chose us. We were not the last one standing, waiting to be picked for a team!
He didn’t have to choose us. He loved us and chose us. Even though He knew we would fail, and get up and fail again, He chose us!
He is the beginning and the end, and He wants to be with us closely, personally, and every day in between.
Let’s start each new day thanking Him for His great love for us!
This story is published in Koinonia — stories by Christians to encourage, entertain, and empower you in your faith, food, fitness, family, and fun.
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