Just three months ago, I never would have pictured myself in a program such as RAD.  In fact I would have been dead set against it.  I have learned over the past couple years that my plan is not always the right plan and God’s plan will always be better than my own.  So that’s how I got here; God laid RAD on my heart and I chose to follow his plan instead of my own plan. 

 

Because I took this leap of faith, the Lord has blessed me in unimaginable ways and is continuing to teach me something new each and every day.  The Holy Spirit has shown me areas of my life that need to be torn off and reconstructed for His glory.  He has also shed light on areas that I am weak in.  While I have faced many challenges both physically and emotionally, I am still at peace in knowing that THIS is where God wants me and that RAD is His plan for me. 

 

In the past couple weeks, the Lord has shown me my attitude through new eyes.  I can see how my negative communication hurts others and tears them down when they most need to be built up.  My current stumbling block is just saying what needs said.  Once I realized my negativity, I stopped saying what was needed because I feared how it would come out.  The step I took to correct the original problem has really turned itself into a new problem.  I am now striving to say what needs said with nothing but pure love. 

 

The Lord has also been teaching me how to be a leader.  While I have always been the “strong leader type,” I now realize that there is a lot I still need to learn.  While a leader’s job is to make sure things get done, it is also the leader’s job to empower his or her team.  Affirmation and encouragement, as well as involvement are huge.  The best way to lead is to serve.  While “servant leadership” is easy to say, it is not always easy to pull off.  I am learning to lead through example by serving those around me and putting their needs before my own. 

 

The Lord is continuing to show me areas in my life that I need to work on.  Now it is up to me to choose to change my life.  With my God in front of me and my team behind me, no one and nothing can stand in my way.