Hold Fast in Hard Times — Domino Effect (Day 30)

Domino Effect
Succumb (Verb): to fail to resist (pressure, temptation, or some other negative force)

In January, Linda shared her “UNword” for 2014 and invited her readers to consider:

Who don’t you want to be as we forge ahead into this year?  What don’t you want to be wasting your time and energy on anymore?  What bugaboo, character trait, moral defect, sin, habit, or thorn in the flesh are you absolutely done with?
 
I contemplated what the antithesis of “Hold Fast” might be, and I settled upon “succumb.”
 
Rather than live sacrificially, I choose selfishness.
Instead of being transformed, I conform to negative thought patterns.
I doubt my identity in Christ, and define my makeup by comparing myself to others.
Isolation replaces community and connection.
My greatest possession becomes a grudge, rather than His great love.
I choose to capitulate, rather than conquer.
 

 

Let’s face it.  Life is hard.  It’s easy to fall into a hole when we can’t see it coming.  But, those who Hold Fast learn to walk differently.  Tonight my pastor shared an illustration that highlighted this truth:
 

THERE’S A HOLE IN MY SIDEWALK
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

By  Portia Nelson

 

Chapter One
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost …. I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it’s a habit … but, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter Four
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter Five
I walk down another street.

 

As a believer, my life is not a cosmic game of dominoes where circumstances out of my control create a wave that crashes in and causes me to fall down over and over again.  Today, I can choose to surrender to my Savior — He will walk with me all the way.

 

Something to think about…

 

To see all of the posts in this series, head on over here.

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21 Comments

  1. Your pastor gave a powerful illustration! It truly does all come down to the choices we each make. Easy to say. Hard to do. But today I decided to “walk down another street”. Thank you, Lyli, you have no idea. Blessings!

  2. It’s so hard when someone you love is stuck in Chapter 2. and they keep repeating it again and again, because, “it’s not my fault.” A simple poem, but profound in many ways. Thank you for sharing, Lyli!!

  3. You made my day, Lyli! Thanks for tracking back all those months and reconnecting on that dreaded UNword.

    It means so much that you’ve reached out to me … I am so touched!

    Truly.

    Hugs.

    1. You are a blessing to me, Linda. I know i’ve been quiet lately, but i assure you that i am following along with your blog on Feedly. Today, i sitting in a waiting room for my annual checkup, so i decided to catch up on comments while i wait. I think this is the first time in several weeks that i’ve had sone down time. 🙂

  4. Lyli,
    Oh the learning process that poem illustrates…and what a change when we begin to learn from our falls….and I’m with you about taking control with the Spirit’s help our thoughts…it is where it all begins…Thanks 🙂

  5. Lyli,
    I loved your pastor’s illustration on how we walk down that same sidewalk many times before we finally decide to take responsibility for our actions and not just avoid the hole in the sidewalk, BUT find a different street (path) to take. That will stick with me for a long time. And so will your words, “Hold Fast.” If I do it now when the seas are calm, I will have a stronger foundation when the storms come–again. And they will.
    Blessings,
    Janis

  6. I love the illustration your pastor gave. Earlier this year the Lord told me something similar, that I was stuck in a cycle but I kept choosng that same cycle. So.. even though it was hard I made the choice to choose something different. Its been a blessing ever since!

    Thanks for the reminder.
    Blessings,
    Misty

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