The Little Light

There comes a time when change must happen. Perhaps you had an addiction which you played around with for years or decades, but then came that one instance where you knew that YOU had to make a change. At that point hopefully, you took the proper steps and you were victorious.

Other examples are smoking, food intake, stress, obesity, etc. The day came when you realized that YOU had to take that first step away from your problem and toward an answer. The time comes when you know no further talk with others will help – it is up to YOU.

But there is a devastatingly popular middle-ground which can keep folks in limbo for a lifetime. It’s a place of degrees that uses ever-expanding boundaries as its tools.

Those periodic coughing sessions are just from a slight cold I might have, they’ll go away. Those extra pounds, who really cares? I’ll practice new ways to hide them. A couple more drinks? Why not? They make me feel so good, and I’ll be sober in the morning.

As our rationalizations continue, so do our boundaries. How did I get up to two packs a day? Well, it’ll never be three! Forty pounds over? Hey, it’s only five more than where I used to be. I’ll buy a carton of alcoholic beverages. I’ll save time and money!

Consider for a moment this ‘middle-ground’. It started with a strong rubber ring around it in which we felt happy, secure and healthy. But one day it got pushed on because smoke has its benefits too, for some individuals. And the band gave way a little – and no one cared.

Days, weeks, years came and went and with more rapid occurrences the band started to lose its strength until now where it is nothing more than a worn shred of elastic. Round after round you entered the ring and your rationalization won every time.

On down that road there comes a very strange transformation. These ‘rationalizations’ take on a life of their own. You get to a point where you don’t want to win anymore but the rationalizations are now protestors with a strong voice, saying, ‘Yes, you can quit in a year or two but not Today! No way! Go get coffee, light up, and we’ll discuss it further then. In fact, bring a couple extras with you. You’ve been through a lot lately. Let’s really relax this morning. You can quit anytime you wish. Let’s just enjoy today.’ And if you disobey? You’ll have those personal riots.

The middle-ground gains another acre in size. That corrupt land of seduction and deceit wins again. It is subtle – just a little bit at a time . . . A couple more puffs, a couple more pounds. No one will ever care. No one will ever know.

In our mental makeup there is a well hidden switch that when flipped to the up position lights up a little sign that says, ‘Smoker’ or ‘Overweight’ or ‘Addict.’ That little sign will stay lit forever unless it is switched off, by YOU. That little sign determines who you are. When you flipped it up you DECLARED to Yourself – who you are. The sign doesn’t flicker. The little bulb never burns out. It is controlled only by that little switch whose location has been all but forgotten.

Can the switch be found or has the middle-ground become too vast?

How is that rationalization mechanism working for you right now? Is it able to dismiss this without the blinking of an eye? If you are very quiet right now you can hear its wheels churning . . . ‘I’ll get to this tomorrow, I’ve got until the end of the month to decide. Today is not a day I want to be burdened with change. I’m really fine, you know?’

There are immense joys of bringing health and perfection into your life. Bliss that is greater than anything you could ever smoke. The joy of total inhalation of purity provided by a walk in the park. The captivating happiness that you have done something perfect – for YOURSELF! Try it . . . Try providing yourself with absolute perfection.

Can you imagine how you might feel then?

The middle-ground causes people to literally do things that HARM themselves. Where do we learn this stuff!? Go hurt yourself to feel better. Would you do that to a loved-one? To an animal? To anything!?

Switches aren’t really that hard to find.

Taking the first step toward that search – impossible.

Impossible?