Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cold and it’s still outside, and just looking at the remnants of a dusting of snow days after it fell to the ground makes me want to run for cover from the inside out. But my body was warmed by the fire and a hot cup of coffee, and my soul has been warmed by the Hand of a Mighty God, and NOW I’m ready to venture out on this new day. It doesn’t take much for me to surrender to my circumstances if I’m not careful, so spending time on the inside of me to be sure that it doesn’t get cold there too is even more important than a coat and a hat on a winter’s day. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

Life is like a rubber-band. We can stretch it out almost to the breaking point as we attempt to grow past our obstacles; but as surely as the rubber-band is inclined to retreat back to where it was before it was stretched; so are we inclined to go back to the place we’re trying to grow out of. It’s only when we lose our grip that the rubber-band retreats, and it’s only when we continue to stretch it that we eventually break through. Whether it’s fear, or depression, laziness, or discouragement; it’s easy to retreat back into any of these UNLESS we’re willing to keep stretching…even when it hurts and even IF it takes a million attempts. The Apostle Paul, said ” I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”. If retreating back into old ways was a problem for one of the Greatest Saints who ever lived; it’s no surprise that it would be a problem for you and me too. It doesn’t matter how many times we (re)stretch the rubber-band that matters. What matters is that we keep stretching and stretching and refusing to retreat back. And if we do that over and over and over again; we eventually break through and the rubber-band can no longer retreat. It would be easy to throw in the towel and proclaim “that’s just the way I am” or to give credit to genes by saying “It runs in my family”, but retreating back to old ways is an on-going battle for ALL of us, and we each make the choice whether to surrender to our weaknesses or to keep stretching until we eventually break through the barriers. This is the key to Victory.

When I’m inclined to retreat back to where I came from, I’m certain of a few things. I know it’s time to regroup and to stretch a little harder. I know that if the Apostle Paul struggled with the same thing and eventually reached Victory, there’s Hope for me too. I know that He’s “my glory and the lifter of my head” and through Him I have the Power to change anything and everything. I know that when I’m inclined to retreat back that I’m on the brink of Great Things and the temptation doesn’t come from a Good Place at all. I’m fighting against the rubber-band-syndrome and I refuse to retreat back into my “old ways”. I’m doing my part to Stretch and I’m leaning on the One who gives me Strength day after day.

How about you?