What If The Answer Is Closer Than You Think? [spoiler alert - kinda gross story]
So, it's come to this. I went to Costco to get a hearing aid! I KNOW RIGHT! I can't be getting older, I should be able to hear for a lot longer... and all the things.
When my appointment finally came around it was way shorter than planned for two reasons.
1- they said that asymmetrical hearing loss was a medical red flag and I needed to go to an ENT specialist before moving forward.
2- they threw me a curve ball and said my good ear was completely blocked and they wondered how I could hear out of it at all.
(This is where the gross part comes in.) They told me never to clean my ears with a Q-tip but to use soap and hot water in the shower.
So, I tried it.
It didn't work!!
My "good ear" then became my bad ear! I must have dislodged the build-up and really messed up my ear. I couldn't even hear my blow dryer from that side that morning. With only the hearing from my bad ear, I was nearly deaf. It felt like people were teasing my, moving their lips but not saying anything....
Why I Do What I Do Now - An Honest Disclosure
Most of you know I work full time for a church I love - Worship Center in Lancaster, PA.
Eric and I were not looking for a move when God surprised us with this chapter of our life about 5 years ago. (He's like that isn't He - full of surprises.) One of the questions we had to answer when we decided God was leading us here was what to do with Bridges Coaching. I/we had developed a number of trainings and workshops and didn't feel it was right to just dissolve Bridges.
God led me to make spaces for others to step into the active ministry roles I stepped out of when we moved. Sarah now is the primary course host for Coach Training and April works with the Destiny branch. Michelle champions the exclusive course of Next Level Coach training. Others facilitate peer pairs as needed. I love it when His plan is a win-win!
Last year, Alex and Delia Dienner launched a German version of Coaching Culture! Amazing! What's next? (Spanish??)
My role is to continue...
4 Key Steps to Moving Forward (and they rhyme so they’re easy to remember)
People can get stuck… some get stuck in a mood and feel depressed or just sad, some get stuck in an attitude and feel angry or confused. Others get in a rut and think there is no way out. Still others mess up somehow and believe there is no way to move on.
It’s not new.
Over and over we see Biblical characters getting stuck.
- Noah let his guard down and embarrassed himself and his family.
- Elijah felt alone and depressed right after he was involved in two major miracles.
- David got distracted and totally messed up when he wasn’t focused.
- Thomas doubted.
- Peter denied.
And the list could go on and on…
But thanks be to God – He always offers us a way out!
So, whether it’s you yourself that needs an assist out of a pit, or you need tools to offer that assist to someone you are working with, here’s 4 key steps to moving forward.
The first one sounds religious, but hear me out!
Repent – It’s kind of a church word isn’t it....
Fours Steps To Moving Right Along
Defining your dream is a great start. And removing obstacles is a game changer.
But just like putting a destination in your GPS, and getting in your car is not enough, you can’t really get anywhere till you start driving.
Once you have decided where you are going, and you have done the hard work of defining and owning your obstacles, it’s time to start moving toward your goal.
Forward movement requires a few items.
- Define a path.
- Move forward on that path.
- Make adjustments as needed.
- Repeat until you arrive.
Sounds simple but it can truly be difficult at times. It’s easy to lose heart if you thought the pathway you were on would surely get you there and some obstacle gets in your way. That’s why #3 is so important.
Heb. 11:39 talks about those who died without receiving the promises they had hoped for and yet these folks are listed as a part of the great cloud of witnesses.
What if the win is about the journey and not so much about how many destinations...