I was getting my hair done one day and in the chair next to me a young lady was telling her hair dresser that she listens to a local Christian radio station. She went on to say that she enjoys the music and that it is uplifting and inspirational but she said, “it is just so impractical to live the life they talk about on that station.” I remember thinking to myself that I listen to the same radio station and it definitely took time but the Lord can change your life in order to live a “christian lifestyle”. I may not have had a typical “Christian” household but my mom always encouraged me and taught me to pray. Even though I did pray to the Lord I needed to make some adjustments in my life. It took some time to make some changes because I come from a beer drinking, cigarette smoking, divorced family! I love my family and I am very close to everyone in my family. So to change my life is truly a miracle! The Lord was patient with me and only gave me what I could handle little by little. At first I felt like I was not following who I was. I didn’t really know who I was but one thing for sure is I found my savior and I was willing and serious about giving my life to him.
This transition began to take place and it was evident to people around me that I had changed. Hopefully for the better but I began to look at things differently. I began to take on a new outlook on my life. It is so funny how the Lord can completely change your outlook. I used to strive for worldly things and I was never satisfied where I was. I remember living in my beautiful two story house and it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I wanted a bigger house with a swimming pool and I would spend time thinking about how I could get my newer improved home instead of enjoying the one I already had.
I learned that you are an average of the five people that have most influence in your life. On my new journey I began meeting new friends that helped mold and shape my “new normal”. As I developed friendships with the new people that came into my life it was easy for me to see that I needed to make a few more changes. I began to make some adjustments that needed to be made in order to raise my kids to know the Lord.
We were stretched even more when the Lord told us to sell our house and move away from our comfortable life. I had no idea how much I depended on conveniences like Target, HEB, and Walgreens. We moved to a town with no family and no conveniences other than the local dollar store. This process was painful but needed because I began to see that it was more important for me to lose the fancy house and easy lifestyle vs not being able to be the number one influence for my kids.
I remember crying everyday for about six months during this process. Over time it got easier and I have learned to actually enjoy living in the middle of nowhere. I started to meet other families who were like minded and I have learned so much from them.
These new friendships allowed us to see a different way of living and allowed us to change what our “normal” was. We began to look at every area of our lives and see what was influencing our kids. T.V. was a huge one, we pulled the plug from cable and no longer let the tube influence their thinking. We went from watching sponge bob square pants and who knows what else… to watching veggie tales and wholesome shows.
I pray that I continue to be conformed and molded into who I am in Christ and I feel like by losing the life I once had I have found a much more meaningful life. If you feel like you are being stretched the Lord may be the one allowing this to happen so he can give your family a “new normal”.
Evaluate the top five influences that your children and family have in their lives and determine if that is the product of what you want your children to become. If it is not, the Lord may be dealing with you to make some adjustments in your life that will change what you normal is in your home.
Mom~Christina♥
