Effort...

This weekend I caught up on the Nike KobeSystem commercials where highly successful people such as Serena Williams, Tony Robbins, Richard Bransen and Kanye West are encouraged-- by a supposed success guru (Kobe Bryant)-- to be more successful...success at success is what it's called; and he uses the catch phrase "are you the same animal or a different beast?" Right, it makes no sense. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to You Tube and be prepared to laugh.  Anyway, as is the case with many experts, Kobe Bryant spends very little time listening and when asked a question, all he says is "you're welcome"....leaving everyone to wonder what the meaning is behind what he's just said.  Well, in a very strange way, I get the success at success concept.  I get the concept of a system that takes the success you're having on your own merit and turns it into something even more successful.  One of my sacrifices for Lent is meat.  Well, I had been successful the last week and a half with only a little effort, until I ate some gumbo this past weekend without any thought.  I was at a celebratory gathering following one of my oldest and dearest friends wedding.  Her new mother in law made a pot of gumbo with sausage, chicken and seafood.  I saw people eating it, I saw the pot on the stove and went and fixed me a bowl.  It took me three bites before I looked down at the bowl, saw the sausage and remembered that I wasn't eating meat.  I stopped eating it and put the bowl down to take to my sister.  Aside from making myself  vulnerable and my flaws transparent, my point is this....On my own and with very little effort, I'd done fine.  I had been successful at not doing the thing I said I wasn't going to do....until I wasn't successful.  It occurred to me that my effort was fallible.  In that moment, I could have used a system powered by an  ultimate guru to help me take it to the next level...take success to success.   I call it the God System.  At this point, It would behoove me to make an effort to reach beyond me...to not just do well until the inevitable slip up, but to tap into the ultimate effort system and go the distance.  I often think about this concept with my child rearing effort.  Grace is on point with her 2 year old bench marks.  She's making 3-5 word sentences, she recognizes her letters and can accurately identify several numbers and colors.  She enjoys reading (play play) and is establishing manners and boundaries and likes and dislikes and is an overall healthy child.  This, as a result of her parent's effort, has come pretty naturally.  Now, I think about taking that success to the next level of success.  What are the things that she needs to know that I'm just not equipped or confident enough to teach her?  What about the things I don't know and don't even know to want to know?  (WHAT :O)  How do I take the success we've achieved and become more successful...The God system.
It honors my effort even when I don't..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philipppians 4:13. 
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EXPECT MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER THINK OR IMAGINE!