Be the Change: Yes You Can!

If you think you can’t change, yes you can! If there’s something in your life you want different, change it. If you are the reason something is not moving forward, be the one to change your path. If you think you can’t, I’m here to tell you, YES, YOU CAN! You know how I know? I did, and it all began at 5 a.m.

I’m not a morning person! This is not an understatement. My family can attest. Actually, my coworkers can probably attest too. Let’s just say my brain neurons are not firing on all cylinders for 8 a.m. meetings.

So in early August 2015 when I felt the prodding of the Holy Spirit to get up “extra” early Monday-Friday to spend time with God, I wasn’t excited about that idea. Here’s how the conversation went for days:

Me:  “I’m not a morning person!”
God:  “I know.”

Me:  “My brain doesn’t function that early.”
God:  “I know.”

Me:  “No, seriously, my brain is in a fog until around 9:00 a.m.”
God:  “I know.”

On and on this daily conversation went for almost two weeks.

Then one day I added to our conversation what I thought was the perfect reason to get me out of this request:

Me:  “You won’t get my best at that time of day.”
God:  “I don’t want your best at that time of day. I want your first.”

And there it was…conviction, revelation, direction.

Sleep is important to me. It’s incredibly difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning. Typically, I hit the snooze button 2-3 times before my feet touch the floor, which was usually around 6:30 a.m.

But, on August 11, 2015, my alarm went off at 5 a.m.! Yes, I did!

I confess I hit the snooze button 2-3 times. Each time I reached over to hit snooze, I heard the Holy Spirit prodding, “Get up, Michelle. You can do it!”

Did God get my best that morning? No. But He got my first and that’s what He wanted.

It was really hard to change my wake-up time. It was really hard to function and focus. It was really hard to do this five days a week…my work days!

But you know what happened? I noticed how much this time positively impacted the rest of my day. After a couple of months, I even started to give God my first on the weekends. After about six months, I realized how much I enjoyed these “first” moments with God.

After 14 months, this “first” of my day has become my “favorite” part of my day.

Be the Change You Want to See in Your World

You’ll hear me say this so many times, you’ll get sick of it, but…be careful what you ask God for because He does answer!

I’m constantly seeking God for direction for my life. I’m a Christ follower. So, when I pray and tell Jesus I truly want to do what He wants me to do, I’m often surprised (although I shouldn’t be) what He wants of me.

He tells us if we love Him, we’ll obey Him. (John 14:15)

That’s hard to do sometimes. You know why? Because He knows what challenges us. He also knows what it takes to produce the best in us. We often need to sacrifice something important in order to show He really is our God.

I learned through this experience God cares about my best too. He knew giving Him the best of me began with giving Him the first part of my day.

I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer. I wanted more time to pray. I didn’t know how to fit that into my day. God knew. Guess what I do with the first of my day? I’m praying for others, for change this world needs, for change I need. My soul is truly renewed each day because I chose to change my world, and it all began at 5 a.m.