by Amy | Apr 11, 2014 | Blog, Devotional
When I think about someone living well, I can’t help but think of my dear friend Lindsay Smith. Now, she might not always feel like she’s mastered the art of living, but in the years I’ve known her I have drawn buckets of inspiration from the proverbial well of her life. Hers is a story that shows the hand of God, so clearly in hindsight I can’t help but feel encouraged.
We met several years ago. At the time we were both living in Shreveport, LA, both attending the same Bible study. It’s safe to say that I had a bit of a girl crush on her. She’s adorable, full of wisdom, and holy-smokes…I’d love to get my hands on her wardrobe. But, being me…I get shy around people like that. So I was thrilled when she asked me out to lunch.
You see, at the time I was at a breaking point. I felt overwhelmed by my lack of direction, “real” employment, and desire to contribute to the world around me. I shared that at Bible study and to my surprise, Lindsay was having the same heart struggle. We easily bonded over lunch and through the years I have had the great pleasure of watching her take that desire and turn it into a work of art, masterfully colored by submission to the Lord.
When Lindsay was in second grade, she proudly declared that she would grow up, attend Baylor University, and study English. I guess, you could call her a Type-A-Planner…When she did grow up, she did find herself studying English at Baylor, on course for pre-law. The “plan” was to graduate, go to law school and work for an international adoption organization. In her mind, this would be her way of “caring for widows and orphans.” Life is so dear to her heart, there is no question in that.
But, to the frustration of many Type-A’s, life rarely adheres to our plans. While studying for the LSAT she met her future husband. After lots of heavy prayer, she knew the Lord was calling her to set her law dreams aside, and step into the role of wife.
That’s how she found herself in Shreveport.
Away from family. Away from friends. Away from her dreams.
She spent days asking, “Why?” Although she had affirmation that marriage was the right decision, she couldn’t help but plead for understanding through her confusion. During this painful season she was faced with painful notions: What to do with her time? The admission that she was “just” a stay at home wife. Hesitation to return to her hometown…where family and friends knew of the dreams she’d put on hold.
In hindsight, she told me, she can see that during this hard chapter of her story, her identity was wrapped up in law school. In her dreams. In the desire to have a title. Feeling that earning the title of “lawyer” would give her purpose, security, and fulfillment. It took a while. Nearly a year. But she allowed God to soften her heart. Slowly, gently, He untangled her identity from titles and degrees and anchored it instead, in Christ. He gave her the strength to move forward. She began relying on God, knowing that He could use her passions, even without a degree.
God has all the qualifications–we don’t need to equip ourselves. He will equip us as needed to do His work.
Armed with new confidence in the Lord’s guidance, she stepped out of the house and began volunteering with Heart of Hope, a residential maternity home for teenagers. Heart of Hope offers stability to young women in a time of uncertainty. They provide family-style living, education on parenting and adoption, as well as schooling–so women can return to their studies after having their child.
For months Lindsay volunteered. She worked closely with the executive director and eventually, a volunteer position was created just for her skill set. She began to find satisfaction in her work, but part of her still felt that work without pay is just “pretend.” {I’ve been there before…}
To supplement the family income Lindsay took a job at a Christian founded boutique called Altar’d State. Again, God went to work. Softening and soothing her heart when questions would arise.
I would ask, “Why?” I had a college degree, and I was working part time in retail. I couldn’t understand why.
Again, God was faithful in answering. During her short term of employment {only four months} her volunteer work with Heart of Hope was brought up on many occasions with customers. Some were so inspired by the work of the ministry they wrote her donation checks on the spot. Through her employment Heart of Hope and Altar’d State cultivated an ongoing ministry relationship.
As time wore on, she felt led through prayer that it was time to leave Altar’d State. She had applied for an internship with the Family Research Council, but hadn’t heard back. As she sat in her car, nervous about putting in her notice, wondering if she was making the right choice…she got a call. She was accepted as an intern and would soon be putting her English degree to use, as she was assigned the task of blogging and writing research papers on {none other than} the topic of teen pregnancy.
Isn’t it amazing how, when we submit plans to the Lord he makes them make sense?
From there Lindsay returned to her work at Heart of Hope, where eventually her position became a paid gig. She has taken on leadership within the ministry, intimately understands how the organization works, and has played a key role in bringing peace to girls in crisis. Recently she was a key player in organizing Shreveport’s first ever “Pro Life March” which attracted more support and attention than expected.
I’ve seen a big change in the city. People are caring about and supporting the positive choices–brave choices–these young girls are making [pro-life decisions.]
Heart of Hope has allowed her to care for those in need. Those in unrest. She told me that “love compels us to action.” Through her actions young women, young mothers, future mothers are equipped with the love of Christ. It’s a love that will change generations as it is passed down from mother to child.
We can meet others in crisis with hope and peace because we know there is a God who cares. A God who can bring love and peace, no matter the circumstance.
Lindsay’s time in Shreveport is now at a close. Her husband’s contract with the Air Force is up and they are relocating back to Texas. She says she is more confident moving forward. Now she looks back on her time in Shreveport, even the hard times, and sees that they have transformed her. She is confident in Christ’s leading and her identity rests in Him.
Her advice for all of us? How can we replicate her story of turning brokenness to trust? How can we create a life evident of God’s plans and grace? She tells us:
1. See the Lord first in everything. Take rest knowing that it isn’t what you do…it’s what you allow the Lord to do through you.
2. Don’t be afraid to share your struggle. Seek council. Let your heart be open and comforted through hard seasons.
3. Get over the fear that if life doesn’t look like X, Y, or Z…your life isn’t right or doesn’t matter. Your life can have an impact.
I hope you find as much encouragement in this story as I have. It takes work. And time. But if we really allow God to lead, if we honestly pursue His interests for us…we will see that His had never left us.
xoxo
Amy
by Amy | Mar 4, 2014 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
Today I was shopping downtown at one of my favorite book stores. When I came out I went to my car and tried to open the door. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but I will anyway…I don’t usually lock my car doors. Especially not when I’m in downtown PraCan. My car isn’t that nice, and there sure as heck isn’t anything inside worth taking.
So, you can imagine that I was a bit confused to find the door locked.
That’s when it hit me. I looked inside the window. A travel mug. A stellar interior. This. Is. Not. My. Car.
Awkward.
Then there was that moment when I looked over my shoulder, sure the true owner had seen me and would be asking questions. Luckily there was no one around. So I looked across the street to find my own Chevy Equinox, got inside…and snapped a photo of the mistaken identity to show you later.
It got me thinking about mistaken identity. From the outside lots of things can look the same. A silver Equinox parked on the side of the street can be mistaken for another. I can think that car is my car. {And I did.} It’s only when you look through the window to see the interior that you recognize you’ve made a mistake. It could happen with any number of things. For instance, a ripe watermelon looks pretty much the same as one that’s gone bad. When you chop into it, you’ll find juicy, solid fruit…or a pile of weird, watery mush.
People can be like this too. From the outside you draw conclusions. But the Bible teaches us that God cares most about what is inside. He teaches us to beware of outward appearances and instead examine the heart. To look through the window to examine the interior, before we commit to getting inside the wrong vehicle. {Matthew 15:1-20; Proverbs 21:2; Jeremiah 17:10; Luke 16:15 the list goes on and on…}
From the outside two people can both look caring, compassionate, and Christ-loving. Their insides, however can be very, very different. One can be of pure intentions, while the other can be motivated by vanity, selfishness, or the desire to seem holy. {Gee…sounds like some Pharisees I heard about once.}
Recently I taught a lesson on purity inside our social media. I pulled Facebook statuses from lots of my friends and had our youth group teens draw conclusions about them. The kicker was that I pulled two from the same person. One that advocated going to the bars for cheap drinks and a night of wasted fun. One that contained a call to prayer. That’s weird. That’s hypocrisy. That’s how mistaken identity can occur.
What identity are you portraying? Is it a pure image of who you really are? Are your intentions pure? Or are you trying to trap the outside world into mistaking your identity?
Take time to pray that God would guide your assessment of others. That He would teach you to be an examiner of hearts, now outward appearances. Pray that He would purify your intentions as well…so everyone can see just how wonderful you are.
Amy
by Amy | Feb 27, 2014 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
Sometimes, when I don’t know how to start, I just begin with something obvious. It’s a good jumping off point. Today I’ll start with this thought.
We all have parents.
Whether they excelled at being a mom and dad, I can’t tell you. But it doesn’t change the fact that we all come from somewhere. A question I’ve been examining lately is what it means to honor your parents once you are all grown up {and maybe even a parent yourself.}
As many of you know, the idea of honoring your mom and dad comes from the Bible. We see it in the 10 Commandments. This notion ranks in the top ten of rules most important to God. And not only is it in the top ten, it makes the top five. Not only the top five, but it’s the first of the commandments to be accompanied by a promise if it’s kept. Exodus 20:12 says:
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
So that you may live long…this commandment comes with a promise of longevity. A bit later, it comes with a promise of death if it’s broken. The very next chapter in Exodus {21:17} tells us:
Anyone who curses their father and mother is to be put to death.
Obviously, God cherishes parents. I won’t stay long on the topic of why longevity, but I think it’s worth touching. If children are raised according to God’s household plan, they grow up respecting their parents {honoring them, obeying them}. This leads to young adults who understand the beauty and importance of submission, not only to their parents, but to authority and ultimately, to God. People who practice self discipline and respect those in authority generally live safer, healthier, un-jailed, longer, lives. I’m not saying there aren’t any unusual circumstances. We live in a broken world, a world where the household isn’t always carried out how God intended, in a world where authority isn’t always 100% sound. But this was the plan. And children who grow up learning the value of self control, tend to grow up to avoid silly, physical risks.
It’s easy to look at the command and think you’ve done your part because you are all grown up now and when you were a child you {kind of} always did what they asked of you. But it’s not that easy. This isn’t only a commandment to children. There is no age limit on honoring your parents. So how do we carry this out when we live states away, own our own home, or are just off at college?
Luckily, the Bible gives a clear picture of what adult parent-honoring looks like.
First of all, the Hebrew translation of the word “honor” from Exodus 20 has a few layers of meaning. One is to obey/respect. Another is to “make honorable.” This means when we speak of our parents as adults it should put them in a good light. Even thought it’s very easy to vent frustration out to siblings or friends, we are to speak favorably of them. Further, we should put them in good light in front of others. Let’s look to Joseph for an example of this.
You can read the whole story here. For our purposes, let’s skip ahead. Joe was sold into Egypt and had since been promoted to Pharaoh’s go-to-guy. When he and his father were reunited he:
…brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. –Genesis 47:7
He took his dad to the ruler of the world’s mega power and presented him as a man the Pharaoh should know and respect.
Secondly, as adults we should continue to show our parents respect by addressing them respectfully and doing what they ask of us, even though we don’t “have to” any more. For this one let’s look at Jesus, right before he turns water to wine. See the whole story here.
Okay. Here is my major paraphrase. Really you should read the Biblical version. But this is the general idea. Jesus and His disciples are at a wedding and the wine runs out. Jesus’ mom is there and asks Him to perform a miracle to make more. John 2:4-5 says:
‘Dear woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My time has not yet come.’
His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
A couple things here.
- 1. “Dear woman” is a term of respect. He’s not looking down on her or belittling her, instead He is demonstrating respect for His mom.
- He does it! He doesn’t need to. As He makes very clear: He takes His orders from His Father in heaven. But Mary is confident that He can make the miracle happen. And He does.
The last big Biblical example of honoring your mom and dad as an adult comes, again from Jesus. {But it’s found all over Scripture.}
The third way I see Scripture showing us how to honor our father and mother in adulthood is by caring for their needs. Look at Mark 7. Here we have the Pharisees giving Jesus and His disciples grief because they ate without going through the ceremonious rigamarole that was the standard for “hand washing.” It was an ordeal that had little to do with cleanliness and everything to do with vanity and outward appearances. In Mark 7:8-13 Jesus turns to them and says:
And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’
But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.
Do you know what Corban means? I didn’t either, until I started really studying this. It’s a buzzword for another one of the Pharisees’ traditions. Corban was an “out.” Let’s say you had elderly, poverty-stricken parents. They are sick and cannot live on their own. They don’t have money or the ability to care for themselves. In Jesus’ day, you could just say, “Corban!” That would end the discussion. It implies that all you have you are giving to the temple. Any help you could have given them, you plan to give away.
Now, whether people actually did give it to the temple was up for debate. Mostly it seems they liked to throw around the word corban to make themselves seem high and mighty. Like perfect givers. They didn’t want to help their parents. They wanted to be able to give big showy gifts to the temple…so they’d look good in front of their peers. It was done in vanity, and we were created by a God who examines the heart. The Bible shows us that faithful tithing is a healthy habit. But we are commanded to honor our parents. That trumps any tradition or vain practice.
He could have used a different instance to demonstrate the Pharisees use of tradition to buck God’s law, but He chose this one. Which makes me think, taking care of parents physically and lovingly is near and dear to our Lord’s heart.
Okay, one more look at this. Then I’m done. Promise. John 19:26 records an intimate moment shortly before Jesus was crucified. He knows He will be leaving the Earth, He knows He doesn’t have much time. So one of Jesus’ final acts is to make sure He is not calling “Corban.” He ensures that His mother is cared for.
When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on the disciple took her into his home.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Would you add any more references? How do you find honoring your parents is different as an adult than a child? Is it harder or easier?
Amy
by Amy | Nov 1, 2013 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
Here’s the thing. Yesterday I bought seriously ugly shoes. No offense to anyone else in the world that owns this pair of shoes. They are great shoes. I just think they look a little ridiculous.
See, I’ve been sporting these bad boys for a year now. I got constant compliments on them. Every time I taught my 8:30am senior fitness class, this one woman called them my “sexy shoes.” She’s in her 80’s. She told me that every time she came to class. And I didn’t mind. Because these are sexy shoes.
These are not. I mean, really, look at that thick sole thing? It’s so big. So weird.
But I went and bought these shoes {not even on sale.} Why? Because it turns out I’ve got some issues. A few weeks ago my back stopped working. It stopped producing movement and started producing a high volume of pain. Before that I’d had some trouble with my knees and my ankles, but not pain that I couldn’t continue to work out through. Because why would I stop working out because of pain? If you know me, you know that I wouldn’t and didn’t. Until I couldn’t move. Or sleep.
So I saw a doctor, who put me through to a physical therapist, who looked at the issue and told me that it started with my feet. My feet. Actually, my shoes. The shoes weren’t putting my feet level, which meant that every time I ran I jarred my ankle at a weird angle, which impacted my knees at a bad angle, which caused my hips to come out of alignment, which forced my back to pick up the slack…until it gave out. Shoes. Feet.
So I’m trying something new. These new, very unsexy shoes. I’m trying to take time to give my body what it needs, even if it’s not what I want. Isn’t it funny how something so small, at the bottom of our totem pole can ripple all the way up? It’s amazing how even the most mundane occurrences in our lives can point back to God and His Word. This whole ordeal just reminds me that He values the lowly and seemingly insignificant. Feet are gross and smelly, and weird to look at…yet He chose them to carry our whole body. I find it totally fascinating that everything, I mean everything in this world, in this creation points back to the amazing Creator.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 1, 2013 | Blog, Context, Devotional, The Art of Faith
Sometimes there isn’t a whole lot to say. Sometimes a profound and mind-blowing thought will just wander its way into your head. There’s no solving it, or changing it, or unthinking it.
Last night I had one of those thoughts.
It came to me while doing our nightly Bible study. There was no specific passage that brought it on, but I’ll leave some scripture at the end here to back it up.
It was a thought about life. And how miraculous the human life really is.
As humans we all have a start date, but no end date. Sure, it’s true that we will die one day. Our bodies will wear out and we will cease to exist here. But we, as mortals will never be snuffed out. Our death is only the beginning of the rest of our existence. You see, mortals are built to last an eternity. Not our bodies…no, but our souls…yes.
An eternity. That’s a never ending time frame.
So it blows my mind to think that the core of my very being had it’s start on December 28, 1986 {okay, 9 months before that even}, but my soul will never have an end date attached to it. There is no expiration date. We live on a timeline that only moves forward, on a line that goes on forever. It’s not something that we earn, or choose. It’s our design. It is this fact {yes, it’s a fact} that separates us from every other creature on earth.
Let’s move one step further. Now realizing that our souls are a very miraculous thing {that could not have been thrown together by any happy accident}, think about conception. What a miracle it is that as a woman carries a baby, not only is that being soon to be an independent being, but she is also carrying a vessel with an eternal capacity. Amazing.
What an amazing privilege to be a person. To be mortal. To be human.
So what does this knowledge mean for us? We will live on after we pass from this life. And our choices here in this world will dictate how our eternity is spent. So while we are here living the beginning of our days we must be conscious that our actions, our decisions, and our time effect more than just today or tomorrow. They will change our timelines and point our forever toward light or darkness.
Having the privilege of this knowledge changes the way we view others. This never-ending timeline business is not just for you and me. It’s true for the guy who cut you off on the road, and the lady who paid for her latte in pennies, and the best of this world, and the worst of this world. It’s true for the born, it’s true for the barely conceived, it’s true of the dying, it’s true of the unreached. Doesn’t that give you new eyes as you look upon each other? Shouldn’t this realization cause us to love each other more deeply, and swallow our pride/anxiety/fear long enough to encourage one another toward an eternity of joy?
I think so.
But like I said it’s just a thought.
Amy
PS…here are a couple verses that back up the whole “humans are eternal” thing. These are all linked to chapters or passages so that you can read them in context. There are many more verses that support the fact that humans are made for eternal life. This are just a sampling.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 {Commentary on this one here.}
Matthew 18:8
Matthew 25:46
John 3:16
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Titus 3:71
John 5:11-15
by Amy | Jun 28, 2013 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith, The Art of Living
When I was in elementary school we had a weird school counselor. Things about her are a little blurry. So for all I know she really wasn’t that weird. But at the time she seemed like an odd duck. I don’t remember much about her, not even her name. There are four instances I remember clear as day. She’d come into my first grade classroom on occasion and here’s what stands out to me.
She had some video about a girl and some magical horses that she made us watch. The horses were white and locked up somewhere and only her confidence and self esteem could unlock them. I hated it and thought it was super lame.
One day as an ice breaker she asked us to go around the room and name our favorite show. Every single member of my class said “Full House.” Every. Single. One. {In fairness it was 1993.}
Whenever she left the room she had us wave goodbye by wiggling our index finger at her. Like it was quieter than a regular wave or something. Again, I–the first grade critic–thought it was lame.
The last thing I remember about her is the “Glass Half Full” lesson. It was probably on one of the days she was showing a segment of that magic horse movie, because I clearly remember that she had a half glass of water sitting on top of the VCR on the TV cart.
She pointed to the glass and asked how we would describe the glass. She called on a few people. I was one of them. Now, I was a bright, if cynical, seven year old…so naturally I answered that the glass was half empty. The others said the same thing. She was pulling teeth trying to get someone to answer that the glass could be “half full” instead. It was awkward to watch…
“Now, can anyone think of another way to describe the glass? Anyone?”
Eventually some genius did come up with the idea that it could also be seen as half full. And on went a lesson on positivity and magic horses. After the answer was discovered I just remember thinking that we should have just called it “half a glass of water.” None of this full or empty business. That was lame.
Anyway, as my experiences with the school counselor allude to the fact that I can be a “glass half empty” type of person. I don’t tend to think of myself as a pessimist exactly. As the years have gone on I’m become pretty savvy at seeing the sunny side. Tonight, though I want to tell you about a glass in my life that is half empty.
The first night after Derek left, I sat on the bed and counted out some change. One coin for each day that he’d be gone. Give or take a couple. I just had to see the days in some tangible form, silly as that sounds. I scooped them all up and put them in my prettiest glass…an opalescent depression glass my mom bought for me at an antique shop. At the time this mandatory separation thing seemed really ugly, so I wanted to house it in something beautiful to remind me that even the darkest situations can turn into blessings if we continually praise God in all situations.
Anyway, each night before bed I take a coin out and put it back in my change jar. That first night was so hard. The glass was full, but boy did it seem “half empty.” Even the first week, I could barely see a drop in the level. One by one. Logically, I knew eventually the glass would have to empty down to the very last penny. But it seemed like every night it was as full as the day before.
Then. Finally I started to see a difference.
Now, that glass is more than half empty. But my glass has never felt more full. This deployment is more than halfway over and God has used this time to bless me tremendously and allow my heart to grow in ways I didn’t even know possible. Not only am I not miserable, I’m joyful.
Just proof from a cynical kid that “half full” isn’t always the best.
Amy
by Amy | Apr 29, 2013 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
I teach the high school Sunday school class at my church. For the past few months we’ve been going through the book of Revelation. A task that was pretty intimidating for me as a leader…since the book itself isn’t exactly a summer beach read. My co-leader, Ben, just finished our last lesson yesterday. A few weeks back, though, I taught a lesson on Chapters 15 and 16. I hadn’t known exactly what to say, or what portion of the text to focus on. But as I studied the words the Holy Spirit took hold of my heart and showed me what to zero in on: Responding to bad times.
If you ask me there is no book of the Bible that describes worse days than Revelation. As my Dad would say, “Sounds like a bad day at the office.”
There are plagues and beasts and wars all over the place. If you haven’t read it in a while, I’ll refresh you. After a short bit the believers are taken away from the Earth, leaving those who have not put their faith in Jesus. Time goes on and things really take a turn. Angels line up with bowls of wrath…ready to be dumped on the world. Yeah, not a good day at the office.
So the wrath starts coming. Boils break out on the skin, salt water turns to blood, fresh water turns to blood, the sun’s heat is unmasked from the Earth making things hot and dangerous.
From the text it seems obvious what is happening. God is working. He is making known His greatness. He is bringing the justice He has long promised. In my mind, the natural thing to do would be submit under the wrath. Acknowledge the Lord and repent. If I didn’t believe in God…you bet your burnt buns that’d get my attention.
But that is not the reaction we see in Revelation. Chapter 16 tells us that the people blaspheme His name. They refuse to repent. Others curse the name of the Lord.
I can just imagine the world…going to hell in a hand basket years from now. Technology that we’ve never dreamed of is in the works, science has come leaps and bounds. And between the two…science and technology, the people of the Earth can explain away everything that is happening. They can blame the water on red algae, the heat on weather patterns. They take these awful hardships with an even stonier heart.
As much as I wish this was true, being a Christian does not mean your life will be sheltered from trouble. There is no easy fix for hardship. Difficult, draining, even tragic moments will crop up in this life and there is nothing we can do to stop all of them from happening. What we can do is control our view of trying times. We can allow tragedy to turn our attention back toward the Lord. Let it soften our hearts. We can trust that evil, awful thing that happen in this life are not always created by God…but they can always be used to glorify Him.
At then end of a day full of hardships we have a few choices to make. The first is whether we choose to grip on tight to the trouble, own it and make it our own…or whether we will turn the hardship over to God with open hands. Knowing that He can spin even the darkest of moments into an opportunity to show His glory.
The second choice kind of wraps its tendrils around the first. We chose how to respond. With anger, lack of faith, and curses toward God, like the folks in Rev. 16…or with a grateful heart and a submissive spirit, allowing even natural disasters to cause us to wonder at the hands of God. If we believe the latter, we can take heart, knowing that we serve a God who is just and merciful to those who love Him. Because at the end of it all, at the end of Revelation, the plagues, the beasts, the hardships…they all had to happen to bring about a greater end: a restored world where nothing will ever separate those who love God from Him again. An Earth where we dwell together with our Savior and hardships no longer exist.
Amy
by Amy | Apr 12, 2013 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
I often have wondered what life would be like if my schedule allowed me to pursue the use of all my God-given gifts. While I can be decisive when it comes to picking a restaurant, travel plans, or say…a new cake stand, my life’s work is up in the air. Maybe that’s not the best way to phrase that. What I mean is, I wasn’t very good at choosing a career. I thought I would be, but there are just so many, many interesting things in the world…how is a girl supposed to choose a favorite?
My days are filled with adventure. Some things stay the same…a few things are stable {I do like stability} but my lifestyle allows for lots of flexibility. I like that.
I work as a fitness instructor at a local gym. It’s perfect work for me because I never have to do the same thing twice. I also work as a photographer. Which is also perfect because no two images are alike, no two sessions are the same. Outside of those two things I really let my mind and heart roam free. I wonder a lot, which is odd, since Google kind of took away the need for wonder. I wonder about random things, people things, adventurous things, future things, past things. Wondering is fun.
Anyway, back to my original wonder. What would life be like if I could pursue the use of all my God-given gifts?
I’m finding out.
This month I have “yessed” my way along. When I’ve heard someone mention the need for help with something that I can do I’ve said “yes.” These weeks have been busy…but the promise of an adventure filled season is on the horizon. And the craziest part is that somehow as I offer up my skills in service to others it’s all fit in. I am feeling a little tinsy bit stressed, but it’s good. I wanted to fill up my lonely evenings and boy have I.
This is a season of pursuit. A season of adventure. I can feel it.
So my question to you is this: How can you use your gifts? What are you wondering? Sometimes we think…”There aren’t enough hours in the day.” I think there are just enough. Twenty-four seems to be just the right amount, any more and we’d all be more burnt out than we already are. Any less and our schedules would feel even tighter. I think Goldie Locks said it best when she tried out momma bear’s bed, “It’s juuusst right.”
There isn’t a doubt in my mind that you are insanely talented and gifted beyond measure. Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to share your awesome. He will. It won’t cost you anything…except maybe an episode or two of your favorite prime time shows.
Think about the wonderful things He has caused you to wonder about…put feelers out and find out something new. Over the past few years I’ve learned that the thing that holds us back strongest is usually ourselves. Take yourself off the leash and be amazed at just how much you can experience/accomplish/do. As I tell my fitness classes…”Try it. If you hate it, you can always stop and modify.”
Amy
