#coccs

(My daily devotional from Joel Osteen Ministries September 1, The Day of Eviction)  Day Thirteen “I DECLARE that God is bringing about new seasons of growth. I will not get stagnant and hold on the old. I will be open to change knowing that God has something better in front of me. New doors of opportunity, new relationships, and new levels of favor are in my future. This is my declaration.”

Sometimes the very things that we fight against, the very things that we think are trying to pull us down, are actually the hand of God trying to push us into a new season. God will stir us out of comfortable situations and He’ll put us in situations that make us stretch—Situations that force us to use our faith. We may not like it. It may be uncomfortable. But God loves you too much to just leave you alone.

Just as God can supernaturally open doors, sometimes He may supernaturally close doors. Nothing happens by accident. God is directing each of your steps. That means if a friend does you wrong, if you go through a setback, if you lose a loved one, you can either embrace that change and God will use it to take you higher, or you can resist it and you’ll end up becoming stagnant and settling for mediocrity.

Stay open for change. Don’t approach change from a negative point of view. All change is not bad. It may be negative on the surface but remember, God would not allow it if he didn’t have a purpose for it. He will use it to stretch you and to hopefully push you into a new dimension. You may be in a perfectly fine situation for years, but all of a sudden you will see a stirring taking place.

Maybe you thought you’d be in your comfort zone for seasons, but for some reason the people who were behind you are not behind you anymore. You don’t have the favor you once had there. It seems like every day is an uphill battle. What is that? That’s God stirring things up.

It’s easy to become negative or bitter: “God, why is this happening?” I thought I had Your favor.” But a much better approach is to just stay open and know that God is still in control. If you will embrace that change, the winds that you thought would defeat you will actually push you to your divine destiny.

Maybe you are in a relationship, and deep down you know the person is not good for you. You know this individual is keeping you from being your best. But you may think, if I make a change I will be alone. You don’t want to rock the boat. That’s why sometimes God will turn the boat over. God may force you to move forward, not because He’s mean, not because He’s trying to make your life miserable, but because he has such a great desire to see you reach your full potential.

·         Over-stretch—sometimes we over-stretch people and they let go. (They still come to meetings, but they have let go of the challenge and the tension.)

·         Under-stretch—we don’t ask enough of people. We give them work they already know how to do.

·         Right-stretch—but, we give some right stretch but when we see someone struggling with the tension, we rescue them immediately.

I want you to know about a story so wonderful that it has to be written. Starting out your college year is difficult — you need to blend, take in the environment, know some traditions and of course have some friends. It’s been hard for me to start this thing because for a year I’ve cut connections and just stayed home while babysitting my nephew.

Seeing my highschool buddies started their college so fun and exciting made me feel lost and stuck in memories of the past.

I started out so prim and proper, grade conscious and everyone just hated my presence as we start our classes.

My heart is crying and thoughts are bugging me late night on what did I do wrong? A year had passed and I’m still finding hard… And while we’re about to start our department week, a bunch of diverse people crash in our room they are so alive and full of stories and I can see it in their faces. They started to throw some chant that all of my classmates were amazed, even I was perplexed by the words that comes out of their mouth enchanting us to be part of their family. I enlisted. Without any idea of what was about to come I just continue to go over trainings and right now I’m still wondering what made me stay? I just met them during trainings, we go out just to eat and then we part ways, I never knew her or him personally? Fun? I have to say those people are true to me and uplifts me by making moments to have fun because why do I need to grow up when I’m still young or I just long for someone to listen to me, to be loved, to be recognized, to have companion.

There are memories where you’re tired crying, you’re laughing out loud, stretching your abilities to another level. Memories were you forget all the problems in the house, all the requirements you need to pass. And there are also memories where you cherish and treasure for the rest of your life. Putting every detail of that story is tough but living and participating in it is indescribable, I started out were everything seems so small as what they say you cannot choose where you will start but you can choose where it will end.

You made me not feel alone in this wonderful fairytale, right now our time has come to an end and this will be story later on in our lives, pictures in our albums, but right now these memories are happening and I am here making the best out the most, tightening the bonds that was made, enriching the story that will be told later on, living the best days of my life. It’s so beautiful that you know when you’re not a sad story.

I want you to know how grateful I am for you, you made an impact over my life by being there when I need someone to listen and laugh with me and it matters to me big time. I learn to open my once lonely life and thank God that I had you through the years, I’m ready for the next chapter of this. Are you?