The One Degree Change

I’ve been experimenting with the simplicity and power of a one–degree change.

Here’s how it works in principle: When I see a major family issue that needs my attention, instead of defaulting to frozen inaction, I hold the whole thing before the Lord: “Father, I feel helpless to change this. It’s too big for me. What’s the one-degree thing I can do to change it?” In the next weeks He faithfully shows me the one thing that I can do to launch the change.  He is very faithful to guide me and so gentle! I find that I am able to shift that single degree amidst my rigorous routine and limited strength. When the current degree is habit, I ask Him for my next step. Looking back, I stand amazed at how much these tiny course corrections have changed my life.

Here’s what it looks like in practice: Last year in January, I began to cry out to the Lord about my family’s health. I couldn’t seem to get traction in a positive direction and I was discouraged.  As I prayed, He revealed – to my surprise! –  that before I could change the trajectory of our family’s health, I would need to change my own.  But I didn’t know where to begin in my life either.

After many weeks of listening for His direction (I knew He would speak because He always has before), I remembered quite suddenly that I was an alumnus of a local university with a fantastic aerobic facility. I checked into renewing my alumni status and found that a membership was $25 a year – that’s right – a year! Here was a practically free opportunity that was just 10 minutes from my house! This was the Lord’s direction and I knew it. I started a weight-lifting and treadmill routine that very week.

By summer my new routine was established and I began to seek the Lord for my next one-degree change. While at a parenting conference a new friend told me about a green smoothie that was making a huge difference in her health and wellbeing. She even made me a sample and brought it to the conference in a cute jar with a straw. Within thirty minutes I could feel a nice vitamin surge. Here was the answer to my prayer and so easy to add to my morning.

By fall I was ready for my next upgrade and the Holy Spirit was not long in revealing it. This one had to do with overriding a habit of negative thinking through the pure Word. I found that YouVersion (a free phone app created by my church) had numerous Bible reading programs and a feature that read the Word aloud. I could listen to the Word while I worked out at the gym – an easy way to shift one-degree based on an established habit. I am now hearing the whole Bible once a year. Ahhhh, that’s health to my body, soul, and spirit.

Now that I’ve now been modeling a healthier lifestyle to my family for well over a year, my prayer is that the next one-degree will have a more direct impact on their health.

I am learning through experience that the Lord’s intervention is logical, succinct, and peaceful. His kindness is leading me to wholeness – one degree at time.

Susan Ekhoff