Transformation: Phase 4

John 17:11b-19

Transformed and consecrated- defined set aside, strengthened in purpose.

The fruit of reflecting on our expectations and surrendering to His will is transformation. But I'm not talking about metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly. I'm thinking of it more like a sinner to a saint or and easier metaphor when an artist paints a masterpiece, it happens over time, and it may change some along the way. My husband is an artist and what happens from when he begins to when he ends is definitely a process. Many of his paintings take several months but there have been others that have taken years, and I can see the changes in him over that period reflected in his work.

Alright so now we have defined the kind of transformation we are talking about but once I accepted what God was calling me to surrender, I was still at a loss for what I should DO…

The Morning after Easter, I woke up it was 6:15a - I hadn't slept well because I had surrendered but when His message became clearer, I got scared. I know how to do what I do but he was asking me to do it in HIS name, for Him with Him and through Him, to create WITH HIM. I accepted but how? Then at 6:15 on April 1st - yes - I heard a message loud and clear as if someone were standing by my bed leaning over me and the voice said, "Get Up!" That's the first thing. and meditate and pray - so I did, during prayer I heard "Go to Mass" so I got myself ready and went to mass - my husband was confused saying where are you going? To Mass I said, and I left. I came home feeling braver and like this was possible.

Tuesday - There was that voice again, no alarm just a voice in my ear/head who knows but it woke me with another get up. So, I did and repeated the day before.

Wednesday - And the voice once again (I am beginning to see the pattern) and this was the day I was starting a new class - a virtual assistant mastermind course that, funnily enough 1 week and a half before I woke up and registered and paid for at 4am again because I had been tossing and turning wondering what and how. I have no desire to be a virtual assistant, but I was hoping that the principles taught would transfer over to the business I was thinking about.

The week continues with me getting up early and going downstairs to sit in my rocking chair to meditate and pray - I use the Hallow app still, but I was now not doing the Lenten meditation but rather the new Easter reflections.

Week 2 - same thing but now my family isn't looking at me weird now it seems normal - like I have always gone to daily mass. My courage has been increasing each day with each meditation like it was written for me.

but then I realize meditations aren't going to get the job done. that's when I stumble on some actual courses in the Hallow app. There was a course on Routines called Divine Rhythms led by Leah Darrow. It's a 7-day course so I set it to begin the following Monday and found that there were so many good applicable steps in the course, some I had already begun when I was told to Get Up on April Fool’s Day.

I decided it was time to run this idea in my head past a few people. I talked to my husband who is never less than completely supportive in his very nature, and he does not let me down in this either but more on that later. I decide I need to take a drive down to San Diego and talk to my adult children. I got down there late so we held even the beginning of our discussion until the next day.  My daughter doesn't have classes on Wednesday, so we were able to spend the whole day together.  I went to Mass at her school, and we sat together working most of the day in a coffee shop just enjoying her presence, then that night at dinner we began discussing the idea and call that has been in my head and reaffirmed many times throughout the month. They were not only supportive they were full of ideas and how they could help. Which to me was God's way of affirming what He was calling me to do.

There is so much I don't know, and I get scared, and doubt will creep back in but then something happens to affirm this is not "my plan" it's his and my job is to follow it.  Remembering that this isn't a metamorphosis but a work of art in progress. I am happy to say I have started the legal paperwork to open my business - Know Thyself Consulting. I will be teaching classes similar to this and doing strengths coaching and I've written many articles for a blog or a book we'll see. but mainly I want to help people find their purpose - what is God's plan for us? He created each one of us uniquely and for a reason. Being Called to a Purpose does not mean being a priest or religious or even a spouse or parent, though we do have that in common. But he has given each one of us certain strengths and abilities and it is up to us to use those gifts. I have been preparing for this for the last 20 years. or even longer if you think about the experiences we need to draw from.