by EdieMelson @EdieMelson
Now to Him who is able to do far
more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that
works within us, Ephesians 3:20
Sometimes
(more often than not) I get caught up in the process of life. I’m an analytical
sort of person, and I’m definitely a planner. With every project I tackle, I
make plans, trying to anticipate any possible potholes and pitfalls. I build timelines and
set expectations.
I’m also
a recovering perfectionist.
For
years I didn’t realize I was a perfectionist, but I definitely am. My
perfectionism shows itself in strange ways. In the past it has kept me from
trying anything I thought I couldn’t succeed at. For me, failure wasn’t an
option. That translated into a hurdle that kept me from pursuing my dreams.
Truthfully,
that issue does continue to crop up from time to time. (I can anticipate the
snickers this engenders in my family and close friends as they read this.)
In the
past I’ve gone to great lengths to build in safeguards that keep failure at bay
when I tackle a difficult project. I always thought of these things as packing
a parachute. They’d be a built-in safety net that would keep me from crashing
and burning if I hadn’t covered all the possibilities.
Then one
day I felt a metaphoric tap on the shoulder from the Holy Spirit. He asked me a
question I’ve never forgotten.
Are you
skydiving or flying?
You see
God is in the business of helping us to fly. He’s not interested in skydiving, and He has no need of parachutes.
Sure there are things we need to do to get ready to fly, but packing a parachute
isn’t one of them. God wants us to fly free, chasing the dreams He's set into our hearts. His plan doesn't include the encumbrances of safety nets and parachute. When He's in control, they're just extra baggage that can hold us tethered to the ground.
So whatever
dream you’re chasing, leave the parachute home and get ready to fly.
TWEETABLE
As you follow your #writing #dream are you skydiving or flying? @EdieMelson (click to tweet)
TWEETABLE
As you follow your #writing #dream are you skydiving or flying? @EdieMelson (click to tweet)
Edie, I am a recovering perfectionist. Your post truly ministered to me. It opened my eyes to the parachute that I have been carrying while I write my book. I'm going to get rid of the parachute and fly. Thank you. My favorite quote from this post, "He's set into our hearts. His plan doesn't include the encumbrances of safety nets and parachute"
ReplyDeleteLove this, Edie. I've definitely been skydiving. I need to learn to trust, take that leap of faith, and fly! Thanks for your post. God bless.
ReplyDeleteThis is perfectly on time for me. I'm getting to ready to fly (literally and metaphorically) into something I've never done before. Thanks for a much-needed word of confirmation.
ReplyDeleteEdie, before reading this, I had not considered that I might be a perfectionist. Thank you for this. It was eye-opening. I'm packing away my parachute today. My Daddy was a paratrooper in WWII, the 503rd Airborne, "The Rock". I will take a lesson from you and from my precious Papa and learn to fly, leaning on THE Rock!
ReplyDeleteEdie, love this quote--"God wants us to fly free, chasing the dreams He's set into our hearts." That has been my life lesson at 50! Like you, I'm a recovering perfectionist who spent most of my life not pursuing my dreams because of the fear of failure. Having my first book under contract, you'd think I finally learned. But I'm still struggling to believe I can repeat the success. I need to cut myself loose from the parachutes I'm carrying and fly free! Thank you for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteGuess there is at least one of us in every crowd. Having spent ten years of my life packing parachutes in military, I see it a little different. I know we have to not only believe in God, we have to act on that faith. We have to confess our faith in Christ and with that parachute we will learn the hard truth that the laws of God work, (gravity) never fails and without the proper preparation for experiences in life, (confessing our faith) we may not get the outcome we expect by simply believing. As a parachute rigger, perfection is a necessity, especially as you are dealing with other people's lives not just your own. As a rigger we always stand ready to use the parachute we pack at any time. I am not disagreeing with you, just saying I look at it from a different perspective, with almost a 1000 jumps myself, he has never failed me, even when my parachute did not open properly, my reserve parachute did work. The one time they did both fail, my landing under the two partial chutes ended up being one of the softest landings I ever made.
ReplyDeleteWhoops... That was suppose to be "without that parachute" not "with that parachute"
ReplyDeleteWhoops... That was suppose to be "without that parachute" not "with that parachute"
ReplyDeleteGuess there is at least one of us in every crowd. Having spent ten years of my life packing parachutes in military, I see it a little different. I know we have to not only believe in God, we have to act on that faith. We have to confess our faith in Christ and with that parachute we will learn the hard truth that the laws of God work, (gravity) never fails and without the proper preparation for experiences in life, (confessing our faith) we may not get the outcome we expect by simply believing. As a parachute rigger, perfection is a necessity, especially as you are dealing with other people's lives not just your own. As a rigger we always stand ready to use the parachute we pack at any time. I am not disagreeing with you, just saying I look at it from a different perspective, with almost a 1000 jumps myself, he has never failed me, even when my parachute did not open properly, my reserve parachute did work. The one time they did both fail, my landing under the two partial chutes ended up being one of the softest landings I ever made.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I've always been a perfectionist when it came to my writing. And often I'm afraid to be vulnerable with my work because criticism can be painful, even when people are telling the truth carefully, and for my own benefit and learning. That "fear of flying" needs to be given to the only One who can handle it, and it isn't me! I'll try to throw away the parachute and put on my Big girl panties. Thanks for the push, Edie! God help me!
DeleteI must admit, I'm so busy preparing to skydive that I never even jump out of the plane. But this past weekend at The Cove has inspired me to jump.
ReplyDelete