As
I gaze down the barrel of yet another jam-packed day, I look forward to the
time because it’s filled with activities that I chose and they all come to a
common goal: progress. Writing in the
morning ensures that I have blog posts ready to publish; helping kids get ready
for school means that I see their sweet faces and kiss them off to another day
of learning and growing; walking with a neighbor, yoga class, and a
chiropractic appointment ensures that my body is taken care of; Bible study and
time with friends feeds me spiritually, and the rest of the hours, whether they
revolve around children’s activities, meals, or taking care of the house, are
spent doing things that are organized in the name of progress.
I
truly believe that God has called me for this life. Gone are the days of wondering what I am doing,
if there’s more for me, something different.
I used to grasp at the future like it was a dangling carrot just out of
my reach. My steps were labored, my
attitude alternately melancholic and surly.
The days loomed, the time strangled and strained. I resented my lot and regularly looked just
past my life to see if there was anything else out there. God was kind of out there, off in the
distance. I imagined he was waiting for
me to get my life together so that I could meet him. It was hard; I felt off-balance.
I
was busy then, just as I am now. But one
thing is different now: peace. Maybe
it’s just that I’m older and mellower, that I have settled into the rhythm of
life instead of fighting it every step of the way. Maybe it’s because the kids are more
independent. It could be the years of
Bible study finally kicking in. But
peace is there. I have allowed God to
come closer to the center of my life.
Some days, he’s right smack in the middle of it all. Those days are wonderful.
There
are days that are not full of peaceful things.
Kids fight, my husband hurts my feelings, I say and do things that I
regret immediately, someone gets sick and the whole day is shot. Plans go out the window when the weather
changes, an unexpected expense blows the budget. I realize that my schedule is too tight;
things need to relax a little.
But
when God is at the center, there is peace.
The peace comes from knowing that God is in control, that no matter what
the days look like, he has chosen me to do this life. Just this one. He has given me the tools I need to do
this. I will stumble and fail, cry that
it’s too hard, and pout because I don’t want to, but this life has been given
to me and blessed by God and that never changes. When I trust in that, in God’s plan, the
peace overwhelms the angst that threatens to overwhelm me.
I
can tell when I’ve allowed God to slip from the center of my life – stress and
anxiety take over and the old feelings of plodding through mud to get to my bed
at the end of the day surface. So
centering my life on God has become vital to me doing this life, and doing it
well. There is no scorecard to fill in
to see how well I am doing compared to everyone else. There is only the relationship with God. The bonus that is wrapped up in this
relationship is that others can benefit from it, and maybe even grow from it
themselves. I may not be a shining star
in the center of anyone’s world, but as long as God is in mine, I know that I
am exactly where I am supposed to be.
How
about you? Do you believe that you are
where you’re supposed to be right now?
What does that look like?
*******
This is the message of Good News for the people
of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:36 (NLT)
I love where I am right now about 95% of the time. I figure 95% is pretty darn good. That other 5% of the time I'm telling God that I need to be independently wealthy so that I can volunteer and be philanthropic. But I think that God know that deep down I am a real couch potato and even though I would have good intentions, I probably would not follow through. So he has placed me where I am, to do the good I am doing, in my small part of this world.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't the world be a better place if everyone was independently wealthy and completely altruistic? Oh, right. It's called heaven. :)
DeleteYeah, God has definitely put me here for a reason, too.
Well said Andrea..... so inspiring. Well, you know my story ...I'm at a crossroad waiting to see what God has in store for me next but I'm going in with eyes wide open knowing that He will come through as he always have so for now I wait patiently with my DVR and fuzzy blanket enjoying the down time while it last. If this was a paying gig, I could accept this as my plight!!
ReplyDeleteEyes wide open - I love that. We don't know what we are being prepared for, so we need to keep a look out.
DeleteWho knows, maybe you are being prepared for some kind of TV ministry. Is that too much of a stretch?
Such a well-articulated post! I can definitely say an "amen!" to this, as I too am having the wonderful experience of feeling the contentment and freedom of embracing who and what God has called me to. I'm find there's much more enjoyment...and yes, peace...when I give up all the (mostly self-inflicted) striving and comparing, etc., etc. and just trust Him!
ReplyDeleteYour comment made me realize how, as a result of trying to do more/be better in the name of the Lord, we spread ourselves thin and suffer because of it. We need to take a rest and let him take over.
Delete