It It Isn't Broken, Break It

When a life-giving surgery is being conducted on a human heart, in order to access the chest cavity not only is skin cut open and pulled aside, but ribs are broken and likewise pulled aside. A great deal of blood is also shed as a result of this process. Were the patient to be awake during the procedure the pain and stress of the experience would perhaps kill them or otherwise leave them permanently damaged mentally-emotionally-psychologically. Yet all this constructive destruction allows for heart blockages to be opened up and heart valves to be repaired or replaced and so on depending upon the malady being addressed. Destruction must precede progress.

When a new structure must be built in place of an older structure it is first necessary to tear down and destroy the old structure, often even digging up its old foundation and excavating down to the mineral soil beneath. Then a new foundation is laid in place and the new structure built atop it. Destruction must precede progress. In economics this principle is referred to as constructive destruction.

This same principle applies in our lives as well. Often in order for us to move forward in our lives and grow as people our old familiar, comfortable, well-established life must be turned upside down and destroyed. This must be done in order to make way for something better as well as our continued healthy development as people. It's so easy to get stuck in one's own life: I could write a book on that from personal experience. Change is inevitable anyway so why fight it to one's own detriment by stubbornly holding onto elements of our lives that are impeding our progress?

On a spiritual level, the parent-child relationship is symbolic and metaphoric of the God-Human relationship.
With that in mind we must remember that parents must force their children out of their comfort zone at various key points in their formative years. For example, at some  point they must make them ride a bike without training wheels or swim without water-wings or drive a car for the first time all the while they are anywhere from uncomfortable to terrified in each of these scenarios at the time. Yet being shoved out of the nest is an inevitable part of the development of every child.

We are God's children and He does the same with us at various points in our lives if we recognize it or not. It's up to us to recognize it and respond to it properly and work WITH God through our process so we can learn what we need to and grow and move forward. We CANNOT grow as much or at all while we remain in our comfort zone... at least not for long. God being a great parent periodically forces us with a gentle nudge or a swift kick in the ass to leave our comfort zone.

AT present, significant elements of my old life are being replaced with new and improved ones. Likewise, I am being forced out of my comfort zone and made to grow by being given a sink-or-swim command to try new things for a living that will move me forward. I am grateful for the opportunity my former friend/boss gave me and for all the things I learned during that three-year period and for the growth that I achieved during that time and the adventures I experienced.

However, in recent months it seemed to me my life had begun to stagnate in a number of areas that were inextricably connected to my involvement in that endeavor and close association with my friend its owner. I began to question if my professional circumstances were actually all that beneficial anymore to my spiritual and emotional and social and professional health and continued growth. If one must ask oneself such questions, well then probably one already has the answer staring them in the face.

Had the character defects and personality flaws of my former friend/boss not been a huge element in everything all the time then there would have been an amicable parting of ways at some point in the not-too-distant future but certainly not this month and in such a dysfunctional manner. God knowing this from eternity past factored that into His plan for both myself and my former friend/boss and both me and him are now being pressed a little, more so me now while my dust settles but later on him more so than me after I am reestablished in my life and his isolation and loneliness settles in more.

I am exercising my personal agency by choosing to embrace all this change and not resist it. To my surprise I am rather excited about the various prospects that are being dangled in front of me. I have more options than I know what to do with as a result of this week's job fair I attended on Tuesday not to mention a couple of part-time job offerings that came my way prior to this week. I even had the gumption to generate a resume last Monday night and Tuesday morning which turned out better than I anticipated. Me having a resume? Who knew?

Next up: pick up some part-time jobs as part of cobbling together a new and more dynamic and emotionally and spiritually nurturing professional life where I don't have to leave town regularly thus leaving my pets and missing church. I don't yet know the details of how precisely this will play out but I know that all things work together for good to those who love God and since God is in the details this will all work out fine.