The Road to Awesome

My week so far has a theme. Do your weeks ever have themes? You know what I mean, each day, each moment there is a reoccurring theme. Sometimes that themes is "crawl back in bed, this week is not getting any better any time soon". Occasionally it’s a good theme like "you keep finding money or good news just falls out of the sky every day"...I said occasionally. This week my theme is "One day at a time". I keep coming across things that are reminding me and encouraging me to take it one day at a time.

Sunday I started to think about this summer. In my head I was back to work in August before the summer even begun. We have a busy summer. It would be very easy for me to just rush around to the next big thing, the next tournament, camp, fundraiser or Missions trip, but then I would miss the early morning walks I plan to take with the kids. I would miss the enjoyment of swinging in the backyard and jumping on the trampoline. The moments are what make the summer fun and relaxing! I felt myself thinking just take it one day a time so I don’t miss out on my kids or my life. When I look at the summer as a whole I am immediately overwhelmed and stressed. That is not a great way to go into the summer!

Monday morning when I got to work I opened an email from my friend Mandy. The email was a forward from the Proverbs 31 ministry called “Live Where You Live”. Suzie Eller who wrote the article was basically talking about how she found herself always on the look out for the next big thing, the next move, the next job or event. She realized by doing that she was missing out on living where she was in the moment. Being present in our day to day life, as easy as it sounds, is actually a task that takes some intentionality. Phil 4:11 says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” That will smack you in the face. I am trying to learn to be content no matter the circumstances, living today as best I can because I will not get it back.

Matt gave me a book I have been wanting for Mother’s day; the book is called “Start”. It’s written by a blogger turned author named Jon Acuff. So far it is a pretty challenging book. Today I came across this, “Live with purpose and enjoy a thousand different passions as you continually walk to road to awesome.” I love that, “The road to awesome”! In this book, so far at least Acuff is encouraging us to live on purpose not strive to find my purpose. This is so good for me. As someone who basically knows my purpose, at least parts of It, I can appreciate living on purpose. It keeps me from wondering when am I ever going to fulfill my purpose. I find myself always looking around the corner and asking the question, “when will I ever get beyond this?” It is difficult to be content but not satisfied. When I feel unsatisfied I am neither living on purpose or content, I am impatient and frustrated.

 I am recognizing that each day, everything thing that I do helps to shape my purpose. When I spend time with my kids or husband I am fulfilling a part of my purpose. When I have a Sisterhood event or speak at Octane I am fulfilling a part of who I am called to be. When I encourage someone or speak life giving words over a child in my ISS trailer I am doing what God has called me to do. I don’t think there is a day when I will say I have reached my destination or this is my purpose, instead I hope I can look back over my life and see how each day filled a space in my puzzle and at the end they all come together to form a beautiful picture of who I am called to be. I realize there are days I try and fit a piece where it doesn’t belong. Usually because I try to rush things along or pursue my own plans instead of waiting on God, but today I am sensing God is telling me to take it one day at a time. He is whispering gently in everything I read and hear this week to live on purpose.

 Striving is exhausting. Today I hope you are encouraged to live today the best that you can. Rest in the knowledge that anything you mess up today will look differently in the light of tomorrow. You will have new opportunities and new experiences waiting for you tomorrow but what can you experience today? I hope that you will live on purpose today, you never know what surprises may await you!