I was slowing down to stop at a red light. Simultaneously, my seat started moving forward. I freaked out! It was scary to say the least.  Instinctively, I pushed my left foot against the floor to stop the chair from moving any closer to the steering wheel.  This phenomenon continued happening. I realized after several occurrences, I could stop the chair by repeating what I learned the first time: push my left foot into the floor.  I also noticed the chair would stop at a certain point; it was not going to hit the steering wheel so the action of pressing my foot against the floor was to essentially lessen the movement.   I knew I needed to go to my mechanic to have it fixed but one day turned into a week.  A week turned into a month. When I did go to the mechanic to have my oil changed, I completely forgot to ask him to look at the chair.  I had gotten used to it.  It was no longer scary. Strangely, it actually became normal.

 I drive on the freeway frequently and one day there was a lot of traffic.  Stop, go, stop, go.  The seat kept moving back and forth.  My normal technique wasn’t really working anymore and I was getting annoyed by the constant jerking feeling.  In those moments, I heard God speak to me.  He said I had gotten used to dysfunction.  He told me to take care of the chair as soon as possible. On my next day off, the first item on my agenda was going to the mechanic.  After explaining the situation, my mechanic informed me he had to remove the chair to see what was hindering it from locking in place.  One hundred dollars later, he had discovered a coin was stuck in the track.  He removed it and the problem was solved.

I share this example because I believe, often times, we get used to dysfunction in our own lives.  It becomes our new normal when not assessed.  I looked up the word in Webster’s dictionary and it is defined as “impaired or abnormal functioning.”  Through this experience, I realized my “dysfunction” was in the area of stewardship. I should not have hesitated to have this problem remedied right away! I was not properly handling what God entrusted to me (my car).   These small things are important to God! I was reminded of a verse in Luke 16:10a: “He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much.”  I have to be faithful with the things currently in my hand so God will trust me with more. 

I wanted to circle back to something else I mentioned earlier.  There was a coin on the track of the chair in my car which hindered it from locking properly.  This question came to mind: What causes us to be stuck? It could be a wrong perspective or bad habits. These things have the potential to lead to dysfunctional behaviors.

What about you? Are there things you know you need to stop doing because they are impairing your ability to walk in purpose? Is there a wrong perspective that is hindering you from moving to the next step in your life?  It is important for us to know where we are and identify what needs to change.  This takes courage and honesty with yourself but I know you can do it, so do it!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Show me if there are any areas in my life where I am living in dysfunction. Help me to move out of that place into a place of wholeness. Reveal any wrong perspectives or bad habits I currently have and help me change. Help me to be a good steward over the things You have given me.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Until Next Time,

Live Audaciously!

Kay Naomi