It has been a great cleanse so far as I continue on the Daniel Cleanse. I haven’t had trouble sticking to eating foods that are plant based and cutting out all sugar, dairy, meat and caffeine. I have done many cleanses over the past years. However, this time around I really wanted to do it for spiritual reasons and not to lose weight or trim up a little bit.
Prior to starting this cleanse I had been working on my thoughts. I had been visualizing and taking thoughts captive. And it was working. My energy had increased, I was excited throughout the day and I made some big decisions about my time and energy. I was starting to step in to the next level that I felt God was taking me. My business increased and I started 2014 in a great place.
Then I started the cleanse. The thing about cleansing is that it takes all the coping mechanisms out of the way. At least the food ones. I’m not a big sweet eater and I hardly ever drink coffee, yet there is something about eating ultra clean that just brings things to the surface that other times don’t seem noticeable. And for me it has been fear.
I am so grateful to be doing this cleanse at this time because fear is exactly what gets in the way of me living the purpose that I was meant to live. And stripped of anything to mute it, fear has been everywhere. I am afraid of what others think, I am afraid to charge a reasonable rate, I am afraid to disappoint someone, I am afraid to lead, I am afraid to succeed, I am afraid of who knows what. The list goes on and on.
It’s amazing to me how God leads us to just what we need at just the right time. . I love to walk alongside people and see them heal, I love to help people in a layered capacity, meaning emotional, mental and spiritual. Yet, that means taking risks, seeing others greater, and putting myself out there boldly. Boldly and afraid don’t go together. I feel God walking me right through this fear. It’s been necessary. Not to stay there, yet to bring it up and expose it for what it really is.
Instead of running from it or pretending that it doesn’t exist or even trying to talk my way out of it, I have been lead to look at the root of where these fears come from. To work together with the Holy Spirit and pull out the beliefs that fuel this fear and then allow God to rebuild those areas of my heart. It’s a training ground and as uncomfortable as it is I appreciate what the outcome will be.
The truth is that fear has been a big part of my life for a long time. As a child I used fear to keep me from being surprised when someone else hurt me. I learned that fear was my friend. It helped me to have some resemblance of control at a time when I felt so out of control. I never knew when chaos would erupt so fearing the worst felt safer than living in the moment. If I could only just fixate on what could possibly go wrong then I wouldn’t have to be taken by surprise when it did. It was more than just a way to cope, it became a part of my integrated personality.
As there is a time for everything it has become the time to let it go all the way at the root. I certainly don’t appreciate the digging up process because it doesn’t feel good, yet, I rejoice in it because this is a part of me that I am ready to say goodbye to. I am dying and becoming more alive at the same time. What an incredible place to be in.
I urge anyone, don’t let fear stop you. The world needs you to step out on faith. Take the journey, do the work, do whatever it takes. Living in fear isn’t really living. It’s decay. I’m ready to say goodbye.
