Have you ever felt like you just didn’t belong because you see things and do things differently from other people? There have been a lot of times in my life that I have done things and perceived things so differently from the people around me. I have felt like an outcast, not part of the popular crowd, the music group, the rebellious group, the science geniuses, the athletes, and the list could go on and on. What group did I belong to?
As my kids are getting older and molding into different social groups, I began to reflect on my younger and early adult years in which I wanted to feel like I belonged to an earthly group. Then it hit me. Jesus was an outcast in his time.
Who could relate to Jesus? No one! He knew and saw things so incredibly different from any and everyone else. Look at the people he surrounded himself with; the hated tax collector, the smelly fisherman, a zealot, whoever needed him, he went to or called on. He spoke in a way that few understood and required his interpretation. He saw and did things very differently, just like me. Think of John the Baptist who wore animal furs, and didn’t bathe, but people still flocked to him to hear God’s word and be baptized. Why did people follow him? They listened and followed him not only because it was God’s plan, but also because his faith in the Father was unshakable and that is most definitely what sets him apart. Romans 12:2 reminds me of this: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Hallelujah! Give me an Amen! I do not have to be like everyone else or fit in anywhere! I want to be like John the Baptist and Jesus, my most perfect mentor/teacher. I want to follow him like the disciples who were also outcasts, but, just like me, they, like you, are children of God.
Without even trying, we are all automatically part of the most honorable, holy, perfect group possible. Rather than trying to join a group, I challenge you to get people to join the group you belong to as a child of God. Make that the most important group you are in because it will never fail you. So when you feel like an outcast with your friends, work, family, or social group, do not forget that you are just like Jesus. Jeremiah 33:3 ESV Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. God has a plan for you and that may require that you have your own opinion, ideas, and ways of doing things. Be the outcast.
Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Voyage to HEAL Weekly Task
Stretch: Want to do something totally different? Hold a stretch until you feel a shift physically, mentally, or emotionally. The MFR stretches are the only stretches I have ever learned that focus on the transformation of cellular tissue memory. You hold the stretch until you feel a shift. Click here for what a shift should feel like found in the guidelines for self-treatment. Rather than me giving you a stretch, watch the video below on postural alignment and you step out of the box and do the stretch you are led to do, not what you have been told to do.
Exercise: I started back to pilates this week and realized that taking 3 months off during the summer was not a good idea. Never stop working on that core! So, get the pelvic floor and core muscles activated while lying on your back. Then lift your legs straight up one at a time. Allow one leg to fall slightly out to the side, bring it back to the center, and repeat on the other side. Keep the movements small and stable at first. I promise you will feel it.
Habitual Change: Elbows, elbows off the table; this is not a horse’s stable. I slouch at the dinner table. I know this because by the end of the day, I need extra support to stay upright. Is it ok to slouch? You must give your body the support it needs when it needs it. Just like you may use a brace if you sprained your ankle, if your body is tired and needs support, give it rest. Slouching on a continual basis is not good, but neither is constant tension to stay upright. Be strong in your posture, not tense.
Perspective enlightenment: I am a child of God. Hallelujah!
Journaling option: Dear God, thank you for always including me. Please reveal your plan so that I may walk the path you have set forth for me.
This week’s blog post coincides with week 9: God’s plan. You can purchase this week in the store on the webpage. You can also purchase the Inner Peace Meditation CD or start your full online Voyage to HEAL. I also have an Ergonomics for Posture and Pain Control video series that provides options for alternative ways to sit, stand, and sleep to help relieve pain. Click here to visit the online store to find all of these items. Most importantly, start being kind to yourself always. As God gives you grace, so should you give it to yourself. Stop fighting yourself. Instead, love yourself.
Don’t forget to sign up for the Voyage to HEAL Weekend Excursion on Friday, November 11th to Saturday the 12th or on Friday, March 3rd to Saturday the 4th! Click here to register.
Godspeed on your Voyage to HEAL
Love,
Jocelyn