dailydatewithgod

If we really knew all of what is of benefit to us we would not spend as much time resisting the things we resist.  I am not sure if it is a combination of us not really knowing what is best for us or that we do not appreciate the things that come to us easily.  I suppose like most things the why is irrelevant.  The reality is the perks we experience in life come about often from the most unlikely places.  I am not talking about the perks that only reach our eyes or the checkbox in our minds of what is good.  I am talking about the perks that pierce the space in our hearts which shape our character because the fruition they represent comes from facing the resistance based on their outside look.  Most of the time the perk that lays on the other side of the fear which pops up in front of it may look to not be worth it but it is not the perk itself, it is the process of facing the fear that is worth it.  A simple example for me was the first time I bought a new car all on my own.  Going through the fear of walking out of a dealership without falling for the tactics they tried to lay on me as some unsuspecting beautiful woman, taking the time to do the research on all angles, doing my own financial figures so I didn’t get talked into purchasing some overpriced full package from financing guru, and so on.  The perk wasn’t what it appeared to be. Yes, the car is nice and I enjoy driving it. Ten years later after some good wear and tear, I still get the perk of knowing I let the best of who I am show up in the whole process of obtaining the car.  The new car smell is long gone but I still take have the perk of knowing exactly what is needed to keep up its maintenance and go to a mechanic I can trust who is interested in treating me as a knowledgeable car owner.  The resistance showed up as not having the time to do my due diligence, asking a guy friend to talk to the dealer, or not countering with the 40 dollar difference in price at another dealership when agreeing on a final price. The perk of being able to drive out of the dealership with my head held high, almost through the moon roof (my favorite feature to this day 😉 )  God encourages us to notice the perks we are drawn to as an invitation to the process of character formed in walking through the resistance which surfaces just in front of the perk.