The clock on my wall just tick-tocked its way past 12:00 Midnight, ushering me, you and the rest of creation into the official first day of Spring, 2013.

I’m entering with great expectations and want to encourage you to do the same, regardless of what day it is when you read this.

Your new season, including your potential ‘sonic boom season’ (which I’ll define in a moment), can commence any day; whether you mark the date as ‘the first day of Spring’ or just ‘the day you decided to break through your barriers.’

But before we discuss sonic booms, seasons or marker events, let’s talk about Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who urged the Israelites – whom God and Moses had just delivered from Egyptian captivity – to boldly enter and possess the Promised Land while others around them shrank back in fear.

Why was everyone so afraid to enter in to what God had promised them for so long? Why would they travel right up to the border, just shy of the ‘goal line,’ only to turn back?

Because they dragged their slavery ‘baggage’ (fears, hurts and insecurities) with them from Egypt and had not yet embraced their true identity and calling as God’s children of faith.

Perhaps you’ve heard that you can take a person out of Egypt, but you can’t always take Egypt out of a person. Egypt can represent poverty, addiction or any other dysfunction, and it’s tough to shake! Just ask Moses, who had to listen to ungrateful followers murmur and complain about their ‘better life’ back in Egypt!

Sadly, too much of the time WE are those complainers.

We allow our fears, insecurities and unhealed wounds to rise up and dash our faith and detour our destinies.

As a result we halt ourselves just shy of embracing the greatness God ordained for us in Christ. We refuse to believe we are who God says we are and we reject his Spirit’s affirming message to our hearts, minds and souls. We back off instead of break through.

We say in our hearts, “Let me just stay in Egypt, where at least I know what to expect.”

This is NOT the mind-set for entering your sonic BOOM season!

A sonic boom happens when an object such as a jet travels fast enough (roughly 768 mph) to move from Transonic speed (slower than the speed of sound) to Supersonic speed (faster than sound) and creates a shock wave that goes BOOM throughout the atmosphere.

Until October 14, 1947, no man had broken the sound barrier in a documented flight. That’s when U.S. Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager flew an experimental X-1 jet through the choppy compressed air that builds and buffets an object at high Transonic speed, then overcame whatever fears and insecurities he had about hitting the invisible wall and going down in flames – something others had done, including a German pilot whose crash created a smoldering 15-foot deep crater – and he pressed through in faith, creating a sonic boom heard round the world and throughout history.  He then cruised smoothly and quietly for the first time ever at Supersonic speed. (You can check out the book or film, The Right Stuff, for more.)

Whether it’s miraculously delivered (yet doubt-filled) Israelites, wanna-be supersonic test pilots or you and me facing down our fears to embrace our highest calling in Christ, the parallels are clear.

It’s tough to enter into new territory, to make history, to become new people. Our fears and other baggage conspire to paralyze us. The aerodynamic resistance of our spiritual atmosphere halts our advances and keeps us from living Supernatural lives of power, love and sound mind – unless we boldly commit ourselves by faith.

Today is the official launch date of my blogsite, YourRoyalCalling.com, the first day I begin to reach out and invite others in.

To get to this day I have faced both atmospheric resistance and internal turmoil. I have been severely shaken, rattled and rolled and have almost broken down a foot shy of my Spirit-inspired goal-line. And of course I have feared going down in flames – perhaps the greatest fear we face when we’ve ‘been there’ before!

Thankfully, I’ve had lots of help and a life’s worth of preparation for this moment and season – just as you will find when you connect the dots of your own journey and break-through.

My calling to write, coach and exhort goes all the way back to my childhood and supportive family, and to many years writing, publishing, producing and directing creative projects of various kinds. On top of that is my specific sense of calling to the Royal Family message deposited in my spirit (and translated into the book) some 20 years ago.

My calling to share this message with all God’s people is shared and supported by my wife, Suzi, who entered God’s kingdom alongside me and has cheerfully endured my wanderings in the wilderness getting here. My good friend, editor, sounding board and webmaster Craig Vogel has been a priceless wonder and ‘X-factor’ for encouraging my steps and reaching this launch point. Meanwhile, members of our Real Life Fellowship group at Sojourn church, local friends and personal supporters all over America have encouraged me for years to write, speak and generally make sonic BOOMS for the glory of God and inspiration of others.

So I’m entering in and hope you will, too.

But let me leave you with an important note or two. First, the agitation that happens as you approach your sonic boom breakthrough can be scary, ugly and unpleasant as your ‘Egyptian baggage’ is surfaced and exposed. The process can be so painful you want to quit on the spot. This is why some Israelites said, “Let’s go back to Egypt,” and why plenty of test pilots said, “Think I’ll sit this one out.”

Fear, insecurity, pain, pride, rebellion, slavish thinking, unbelief and unforgiveness, selfishness and more is all there to hinder or disqualify us. Along with these things can often come conflict, opposition and squabbling with loved ones carrying their own baggage from slavery-land.

The good news is that a healthy dose of faith, hope and love can carry you through this shake-n-bake process – into ever-expanding freedom and peace!

If you allow God to reveal what issues need to be resolved, usually through honest repentance and graceful forgiveness, you’ll be amazed at how much easier you can punch through your faith barrier.

During my recent buffeting, for example, I gained new insight into my lifelong tendency to be late. For years I’ve joked about being ‘born late’ and have tolerated constant anxiety about running behind schedule. But suddenly God showed me how simply I could ‘reverse the curse’ and be early, simply by trying to do less and seeing the rewards of being early. BOOM. Now I’m running early, feeling relaxed and wondering why the heck I ever tolerated the craziness.

Another recent insight revealed my disproportionate need for affirmation and applause from my wife rather than the simple approval of my heavenly Father. Basic stuff I’ve shared with others, but didn’t see in myself. Now she and I both should enjoy greater freedom.

The largest pieces of exposed baggage were glimpses of my selfish behavior and insensitivity toward loved ones. BOOM. Repentance opens wide the door for God’s love to rush in and break through.

There’s that idea again. Breakthrough.

Mark your calendar, build a monument or just celebrate your sonic BOOM date when it happens. Today’s a great day to enter in, as is every day.

Let’s pray:

We thank you, Heavenly Father, for calling us to powerful lives of faith, vision and promise. Lift our sights and guide us through the chop and resistance opposing us, to break through and become the people you’ve called us to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

Got any related thoughts or experiences?  Please comment at bottom of page.

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