Yikes!!!
But we can't avoid commitment-life is about commitment, you commit to relationship, to jobs, to sports teams, to faith-we actually make little commitments every day that we think are just normal decisions! But then there are bigger commitments that we make that may mean us having to change or go out of our comfort zone. Example, working overseas-I people say A LOT -"I would love to go overseas and work or do what you do...-but it's a BIG commitment!" To which I answer, 'Yes, yes it is'. Now, I am not saying that those who say that are just scared of commitment-no, what I am saying is that we often say things we would like to do-but when it comes to committing to it-we get a little shy-scared-doubt comes crashing in like a huge wave over the beach of our brain-we scramble to think of any reason to NOT commit.
Committing to something is like taking that extra step from saying you want to do something to DOING it. Here are some examples:
- Saying you want to have kids and then actaully getting pregnant-HELLO COMMITMENT!
- Introducing your once "friend" to now introducing them as your boyfriend/girl friend (this can still be awkward for some people).
- Applying for the overseas job-and then getting the job and THEN committing to actually going!
- Thinking about going back to school to committing to registering for classes
- Saying you would will like to help the poor to committing to go to serve or give to the poor..
- Being interested in that car or house to committing to the bank-signing the loan for the car or house.
- Saying you always thought about running a marathon...and actually committing to training and running 26.2...
You get the picture-there is a big difference to saying and doing and that diffrence is your commitment. I will admit I am that turtle up there at times-you may not think so but I am. However, I have found that the more passionate I am about something the easier it is to commit to it-you may be thinking DUH-of course! So the next question would be 'what are you passionate about' ahhhhh yes...now this is where it gets a little more personal.
So where am I going with all of this commitment talk? A couple of places...first the committment that our staff has, SP Liberia has and I have to serving the people of Liberia. It is not something to be taken lightly-for some of us it has meant moving away from family, friends and our culture. For some it has meant working in areas that are challenging, for the villages we work with it means committing to doing extra work to better their lives and community. But when we do commit-wow the rewards can be life changing!! For example in our fish pond project-let these pictures demonstrate what commitment of many can do!
SP staff and community members committing to building a fish pond-take up to 6 months of hard work!
A finished fish pond...6 ponds.
The harvest from one of the ponds! The reward of commitment to a better life-the fish is for the community to use to help the vunerable or sell to buy things like roofing for a church or community building.
When we commit to something -we must be prepared to put in some hard work-but as we can see by the pictures-there is a great reward for hard work!
My last blog entry on fight or flight talked about what are the things that we are willing to stand up and fight for. Commitment falls into this same column-what are you will to commit to and then stand up for? I guess there could be discussion on what is first-fight or commitment or commitment then fight? Hmmmm...I think (for what it's worth HA!) that it is commitment-we make a conscience decision to commit to something then we fight for it. You may think it's the other way around-and that is ok.
The next blog entry "Commitment part-2"-this one is a little more personal...and no I am not having a baby or adopting another child! (I know some of you will go there!) Commitment-as with the last blog entry about fighting for something-think about what you have committed to so far in your life...what are you willing to commit to and at what cost?
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