THREE signs that you are in ALIGNMENT with God's will

At the beginning of every year, a lot of us (including me) declare that this year will be a year filled with an abundance of blessings and favor. It’s like we fall into two categories, people who are hyped up with vision boards and goals and those who are over the cliché of “New Year, New Me” and decide to simply play the year by ear.  Without any shame or guilt, I proudly fall into the category of the optimistic planner.  However the reason I am able to declare this is not because I believe that life is going to “PERFECT” every year, it’s because I have learned that whether a situation brings me pain or joy, as long as I am under the direction of God’s will, He is working it out for my good.

Last year I declared that 2017 would be the YEAR of Alignment, if any of you follow ONE Church LA, you would know this was a theme for their year of 2017. At the time I didn’t know what God’s alignment would look like, but God brought the memory back to me that when I was born my feet weren’t straight, I was born with one of my legs being turned out like a duck  and in order to ALIGN them I had to sleep with corrective shoes. My mom was diligent about making sure no matter how much I fussed or whined that those shoes were staying on.

However, when she sent me to my grandmother for the summer, she could not bear with allowing me to sleep with the shoes because I would scream and cry so much when she would put them on. My mother was heavily upset, but glory be to God the process still worked! Until I heard this story I never even remembered that I wore corrective shoes. No one ever told me my feet looked crooked or that I walked funny, I was able to run, jump and swim like any other child, thanks to this process of re-alignment.

So the question I had was, spiritually what does alignment really look like?

God revealed to me that alignment involves:

SEPARATION – In 2017 for the first time I had to mourn the loss of a friendship. This was painfully new to me, I had mourned romantic relationships before, (yall know, you know you read the book ;)), but seriously I had never really mourned the loss of a friendship.  I am 32, so of course, I had friendships dissolve, but previous ones happened organically; you simply lost touch, move to different cities or just gravitated towards different interest, but this time it was different. When this incident happened for the first time I realized that someone that I once called one of the most real members of my team was not on my team at all.  You see when you know you have been called to greatness, you just can’t let anybody ride on your team because if you can’t take blows with me, you will not be allowed to celebrate with me and that’s not me being mean, that’s just the truth. Sometimes God has to separate you from the people not assigned to your destiny so that he can realign you with the ones who are.  This doesn’t make the person a bad person and it definitely doesn’t mean you are better than them, it just means that their part in your story has ended and that is something I had to learn to be ok with.

REJECTION– Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t choose to be an entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial lifestyle chose me. I lost my job in 2015 and God continually told me not to go back to a 9 to 5. However, at the beginning of 2017, I really contemplated going back to a full-time job. I got the call out the blue and thought, “Well look at God!” The position seemed to align with a job I would be interested in doing FULL time and they sought me out and asked me to come in. However, after the interview, they went silent, like those dudes who seek you out, then text up your phone in the beginning like they got real plans for you and then go MIA when you ready to get serious. They had gotten me all excited to head back to that sure paycheck and simply dropped me back to the ground.  How SWAY!!! God How Swayy, God reminded me that He was my source and that my journey as an entrepreneur was still building and to stay true to the course he had called me for.

SACRIFICE – Being an entrepreneur that is in the building season of their career is challenging, however being an entrepreneur living in Freeport can sometimes be downright depressing. I spent couple months of 2016 in LA and let me tell you how I did NOT want to come home (cues ghetto girl clap). However, when God brought me home in the summer of 2016, He told me to release the EXPENSIVE process that was already in the works for me to start working in the US and just be still because He wants me home. I’m sorry Jesus, back home with my parents at 32. When I have already lived for over a year on my own when I have already known what it is to live in my dream city. You want me to BE WHERE, in this Freeport struggly economy?  Why Jesus Why?  He said because I need you to trust me, I’m realigning you. In this season he’s called me to help build this community, to build my church family and to set the foundation for my company.  Not what I wanted to hear, but exactly what I need to do.

My grandmother removed my corrective shoes, earlier than the prescribed time because she couldn’t bear seeing me in pain. I was blessed enough for the shoes to still work, however, what happens when we don’t receive that kind of grace. What happens when we decide to stop the process because following God’s will is too difficult or too painful to bear?

At the beginning of 2017, a friend gave me a planner that said “Bloom where you are planted” A statement that I didn’t really wholeheartedly accept until the END of 2017, but I am so glad I FINALLY did. Because before 2017 ended God gave me glimpses of how my obedience to His realignment was setting me up for a GREATER DESTINY and an overflow of BLESSINGS!

So when you hear me declare 2018 as the year of the overflow, the year of the Butterfly and ACCELERATION, it’s because I have and I am continually willing to be obedient, uncomfortable, lonely and in pain while God realigns my life to His will. When we are putting together an appliance, we have to read the instructions and make sure we put everything in its right place. No matter how much time and effort we spend putting it together if just one piece is out of alignment, when we press the button to turn it on NOTHING will happen, however as soon as we align every piece together in its proper place, IMMEDIATELY the appliance will begin to work!  

God said to me if you want to experience a season of acceleration and overflow if you want 2018 to be the year of the Butterfly; you have to ensure that you are correctly ALIGNED! And for those who are wondering how does that realignment occur? Turn to Matthew 6:33 “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” Our realignment will only come when we genuinely put Christ first.  I declared that I’m coming for everything the enemy has ever stolen from me, but the only way I will is if God is continually FIRST. So today I say thank you 2017 for the lessons and welcome you 2018 because in case you didn’t know God and I have BIG plans for you ;)!! 

If this blog has touched you in any way or if you simply want someone to pray with you as you walk into this new Chapter of 2018, I would love to hear from you. Let's connect at kerelpinder@gmail.com! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!