1 inch

What does one inch mean to you? 

Does it mean the difference between being able to ride the Raptor at Cedar Point or not?

Does it mean the imbalance between that pair of pants and you fitting in them comfortably?

Does it mean the amount of dust on your bookshelf?

What about the variance of space that is NOT between you and those oh-so-friendly neighbors you have sitting to your left and right on a cramped airplane?

Whatever one inch means to you, my hope is that after I share this nugget of genius, you will have one more inch of freedom in your life.

I have the privilege of babysit--wait--they like to call it "hanging" with some of the best and coolest kids in the entire world. If you challenge me on this, you will surely lose. :) And as I was receiving a nail treatment from the world's most tomboy manicurist (she's actually really fantastic...) I happened to glance across a book with an odd title, "The 2-degree Difference"(http://www.amazon.com/2-degree-Difference-Little-Things-Everything/dp/0805430644) by John Trent. As I was waiting for my little artist to finish her masterpiece, I picked it up and perused the pages. 

Did you know that why (most of us) stay between the mustard and mayonnaise (the lines on the road) when we drive is because we are constantly making 2-degrees of change to the left and right? If we made, oh, say 15-degrees of change, we'd end up in the ditch. 

So why do I (I am going to assume this applies to many-but I will own this because I have a propensity to apply this to my life daily) attempt to make 15-degrees of change in my life when 2-degrees is safer?

15-degrees of change is dangerous, reckless, impetuous, possibly lethal. 15 degrees of change looks at the big picture--and gets overwhelmed. We all see ourselves as being "better" - one day I'll be the better employee, friend, daughter, dog-owner (throw in your own "roles"). I look at future Carissa and see a greattttt person; Godly, happy, inviting, entertaining, peaceful, loving, wise... I look at now Carissa and think... "Oh boy", there's more than one inch of difference from now to there. All the striving and perfecting and stress is getting me nowhere but one inch deeper in my own pickle. Now Carissa has really made a botch job out of getting to there Carissa. But there is more than 2-degrees of change away from now, there is more than one inch away from now. 

So I'm throwing it out... not that there isn't a there Carissa I don't want to get to, but now Carissa is what I've got and who I am in this moment, for today. 

I firmly believe in John 10:10 when Jesus tells us, and may I add that in the reading up to verse 10, Jesus has had to repeat Himself to the thickheaded Pharisees and Jews already once and they just are not getting it. I imagine Jesus not getting impatient, but just anxious for them to understand--like He's trying to say..."how can you really not SEE this?!" So Jesus says, 

"... I have come that they might have LIFE and have it to the FULL." (emphasis mine)

I'm not sure about you, but I don't want to wait until there Carissa to have full life. Jesus came so I can have my full life now. I mean, duh. 

So what am I going to do now? And what does one inch mean? 

Well, I'm going to do the one inch I can do to better my life now. I'm going to make a 2-degree change in certain areas of my life where I feel God asking me to improve. 

Attempting to go more than one inch in life is like my tomboy manicurist attempting to replicate Van Gogh's, "The Starry Night" in one day. 

Really?

So stop looking at the future--sure have a heading--but relax and enjoy the full life Jesus came for you to have. It's Jesus' line of work to be there right now--not ours. 'Cos trust me, one inch is a big deal. Look back to the top of this blog and then look at what one inch means to you. 

Go for it-

one inch.