I’ve been taking a class this summer, Christian Coaching, and it has messed with me in every way possible. For those who know me well you have heard me say that ‘it’s hard to be me’. For these last nine weeks that would be putting it mildly! This class has challenged everything in me.

As we began our journey, our instructor, a master coach, told us that the class would be a different journey for each one. She kept telling us to ‘Enjoy the Journey’. I did the polite head-nod-and-smile thinking “yeah, yeah, yeah, on to the next thing.” Bottom line—I planned to go thru the class, check my boxes for the classroom time, homework assignments and other random activities to get my certification and just move right on. Well! What was I thinking??? I spent the first few weeks trying to check boxes, take the assessments and move ahead toward graduation day. Nothing came easy, not even sleep! What was wrong with me? None of the material was really new, after all I do work at a church! (insert eye rolls here) But last week was different. I took a week off to catch up on homework and really dig deep into this material. What I learned was difficult and beautiful. Here’s what I have learned thus far:

1. Fear can take many forms and stop you in your tracks.
2. It’s easy to be good at your job and overlook the health of your soul.
3. Pride disguises itself in many ways.
4. Perfectionism is the mother of procrastination.
5. To see change you need to stare thru the darkness and focus on the light.
6. You have to come out of hiding to be in the presence of the Lord.
7. Little things destroy your confidence. “Do not throw away your confidence—it will be richly rewarded” (Hebrews 10:35-36)
8. Persistence is necessary for change.
9. Change is hard work.
10. Most things that worry you will never happen.

So, as I take an intermission at the halfway point in this class, I am grateful. Grateful for what I have learned, for the people I have met and for what’s ahead. As I reflect on these last nine weeks I’ve concluded that sometimes you are Moses and sometimes you are the burning bush. Right now, I’m burning! At least I won’t be consumed. I’m just burning off the excess and pruning away everything unfruitful….everything hinges on that!