I am an individual with several weaknesses. One of which is a 100 calorie bag of something called “Reese’s Snacksters.” This bag includes cereal puffs, peanut butter chips, cereal squares and Reese’s pieces. It’s more or less peanut butter in a bag.
This past weekend I shared a bag of them with a three year old, toe-headed ball of fire. I adore everything about him. After I opened the bag for him I watched him carefully sift through the bag and separate the contents. He’d immediately pop the Reese’s pieces in his little mouth (more than likely because they were his favorite) and set the rest aside on the end table. Maybe it was the color that was appealing to him, or the hard candy shell that covers them, or perhaps he just preferred the taste of them over the others.
Whatever the reasoning, the bottom line was that he chose them. He was given a bag containing several options to satisfy his hunger, yet he chose what he wanted at that particular moment, without hesitation…
It’s funny how we seem to go about our lives in a very similar way…
We take in the things that appeal to us the most, without much thought or hesitation and leave the rest behind. Discarding it. Maybe out of some sort of hunger we go back for the leftovers, but typically they fall by the wayside.
We go for the designer clothes, the fast cars. We want the latest gadgets. We get involved in relationships because the outer beauty is simply too beautiful to pass up. We desire the jobs with the higher pay so we have more money to spend, rather than simply being happy and loving what we do regardless of the size of the paycheck.
…we want what meets our needs.
…and usually we want it immediately.
…Only to find out later that it didn’t satisfy us the way in which we thought it would.
So I have to wonder why it takes so many of us so long to realize that God’s plan may be that those things we discard and disregard might just be his greatest blessings for us. I do believe that God’s timing is perfect, and yet could it be that we push His timing aside because we have our minds set on our own timing and selfish desires?
There are moments in my life that I regret some of my past decisions. Thankfully, we serve a God of second chances. Sometimes even third and fourth ones! And He redeems those choices and creates something much more beautiful than we can ever imagine…
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Hello World
I am a big fan of Lady Antebellum. A really, REALLY big fan. Not in a psychotic way, but I am a sucker for harmony. Period. And when this group was introduced to radio a few years ago I was hooked. Instantly.
This video is their latest single and I can't get enough of it...
One of the things I am most grateful for in my life, is to have eyes that are constantly on the "look out" and a heart that is ready to embrace the moments that surround me on an every day basis. I love looking for God's miracles and the manner in which He speaks directly to my core. I am somewhat guarded, but I believe in opening my heart to those God places in my life.
Examples:
For the past month, I have seen someone bundled up in a sleeping bag, sleeping on the steps of a church in freezing temperatures. The first time I witnessed this, I cried. Not because it was cold and this person was undoubtedly homeless, although that is heart wrenching in itself. I cried because the one place this person chooses to unroll his sleeping bag and rest for the night is under the cross. Whether or not they choose to do so for that reason or not, I don't know. But the symbolism that God revealed to me is that whatever our circumstances are in this life, when we choose to surrender every ounce of them, He gives us rest.
You know that old saying, "When one door closes, another one opens" ? I have literally seen that occur in my life this past year and it has been absolutely one of the most amazing feelings ever! I don't know where the "corridor" is going to lead me, but I have walked through the door and have begun one of the greatest journeys I have ever embarked on throughout the course of my life. I am extremely excited to see what this next year is going to bring and overwhelmed with how incredibly fortunate I have been in such a short amount of time. It's amazing to think about the blessings that come forth when you merely open your heart to receive them.
Last week on my flight home from Puerto Rico, I was sitting on the plane surrounded by a fairly young family. There were three children, of which included a set of twins. They all took their turns swapping seats between mom and dad. Dad was in my section and was the most phenomenal story teller ever. I sat and listened to him make up his own story as each child sat mesmerized and hung on to every word that came out of his mouth. He and his wife apologized quite often during the 5 hour flight for their children's' behaviors and I responded by saying that it was perfectly fine and that I work with kids. I thought it was wonderful to witness the love these children had for their parents.
About halfway through the flight, the oldest girl was sitting next to me. She would compliment me on "how good" I was at my word seek book. She asked me if I knew any Spanish words, because she was beginning her own little list of translations. She told me about their trip to Puerto Rico and visiting the rain forest. We even played a few games of Go Fish. Before the flight was over, I had even learned about the boy she had a crush on.
As we scurried off the plane, I walked up to her and told her that it was very nice meeting her. She responded with a gigantic hug...
It's been a week, and she may not even remember sitting next to me on the plane. But I will remember little Sophie for quite a while. God used her to remind me of the innocence that I often times forget about.
Simplicity. Affection. Honesty.
Most days I'm afraid to make eye contact with a complete stranger. For a few hours that day, a little 8 year old girl treated me as though I was her very best friend...
What am I so afraid of?
To the world you may just be one person...but to that one person you just might be the world.
A smile and a hello can make a huge difference to someone. A few dollars or some loose change given to the stranger on the street corner could provide a hot cup of coffee and something to eat on a cold day. A simple gesture of hope could quite possibly save a life.
I think that's more than enough of a reason to step out of our "comfort" zones...
God gave me this life. He hands me blessings every day. What am I doing in response to his love? Do I bottle it all up and store it away like a selfish pack rat or do I pay that love forward into the lives of the people he places all around me?
This world has way too many opportunities for us to just walk away from. Embrace those opportunities. Love on people.
You may just bump into a miracle in the making...
Monday, January 3, 2011
Getting Here
Sitting on an American Airlines flight last week, I was overwhelmed with one simple, yet complex question:
How did I get here?
One day I was preparing for a trip to Alabama, the next day I was informed that the trip would have to be postponed. Disappointment took over my emotions yet I tried my best to accept the situation for what it was. Disappointment has become an unwanted companion of mine for many years. So I spent the next few days convincing myself and living by the motto, “it is what it is” as well as telling myself that somehow it would all work out. And rarely does this happen, but I believed those words.
And within a week, I was heading on an outbound flight from Sacramento, California to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The flight was completely full. There were screaming toddlers, happy couples holding hands, and one stewardess that was clearly having a bad day. I rested my head against the window and looked outside at the terrain thousands of feet below me. Closing my eyes and fighting off the unsettled nerves that danced around inside of me, the question resurfaced:
How did I get here?
Landing in Dallas, Texas, my heart raced right along with my legs as I tried to figure out where the gate was located for my connecting flight. Even though I had a few hours I wanted to make sure I was where I needed to be even if I got there two hours early.
Could it be that I am finally where I need to be?
Relationships have never come easy for me. Don’t get me wrong, I know “relationships aren’t easy” but I can’t help but hope that one will come along that will be easier than they have been for me over the past 20 years. My best friend who has stood beside me during the good, the bad and the ugly has always been there to encourage me that I deserved more. And I always wondered how easy it was for her to feel that way. She and her husband have been married nearly 17 years. How could she possibly understand what is…or isn’t out here in the “world of singles.”
…but I’m nearly convinced that she has always known much more than I could possibly give her credit for.
After boarding my connecting flight and being in the air for a few hours, the overcast sky that surrounded Dallas had turned into a perfect view of the burning red sun that eventually caught up with the horizon. I sat in my window seat glancing back until everything above and beneath me was completely black.
It was then that I pondered the symbolism between the darkened night and my past relationships.
Occasionally a relationship will end mutually, with the understanding of both involved, that things just aren’t meant to be. There are also the ones that end with the words, “What was I thinking?” And then there are the ones that end in extreme heartache. The heartache that ultimately leaves you with the impression or assumption that maybe you are meant to spend the rest of your life alone. While that statement has haunted me more times than I can count, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it for me…
How did I get here?
A combination of those three scenarios…
Feeling the descent of the aircraft, the nerves once again bounced around inside of me. But they were no longer “unsettling” nerves. They were nerves of anticipation, because waiting for me outside of the baggage claim was the reason that I was stepping foot in San Juan. Someone I couldn’t wait to see. The answer to my question…
He was the one person I wanted to be standing next to when the final second of 2010 ticked away, and he was the first person I wanted to be next to when 2011 came to be. I wanted to walk away from the old and into the new with him. And it all worked out…
Four days didn’t seem like enough time…and before I knew it I was once again standing in the San Juan airport to head back home. After a handful of goodbyes and walking the dreadful steps to the security checkpoint I glanced back to see a man in his Army fatigues watching me with a smile…
The flight back home was long, but hopeful. I thought about every single moment in my life that led me to where I am. The heartaches, disappointments, the “what was I thinking” situations. They all got me here and I am thankful for each and every one.
And right now there’s no place I’d rather be.
How did I get here?
One day I was preparing for a trip to Alabama, the next day I was informed that the trip would have to be postponed. Disappointment took over my emotions yet I tried my best to accept the situation for what it was. Disappointment has become an unwanted companion of mine for many years. So I spent the next few days convincing myself and living by the motto, “it is what it is” as well as telling myself that somehow it would all work out. And rarely does this happen, but I believed those words.
And within a week, I was heading on an outbound flight from Sacramento, California to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The flight was completely full. There were screaming toddlers, happy couples holding hands, and one stewardess that was clearly having a bad day. I rested my head against the window and looked outside at the terrain thousands of feet below me. Closing my eyes and fighting off the unsettled nerves that danced around inside of me, the question resurfaced:
How did I get here?
Landing in Dallas, Texas, my heart raced right along with my legs as I tried to figure out where the gate was located for my connecting flight. Even though I had a few hours I wanted to make sure I was where I needed to be even if I got there two hours early.
Could it be that I am finally where I need to be?
Relationships have never come easy for me. Don’t get me wrong, I know “relationships aren’t easy” but I can’t help but hope that one will come along that will be easier than they have been for me over the past 20 years. My best friend who has stood beside me during the good, the bad and the ugly has always been there to encourage me that I deserved more. And I always wondered how easy it was for her to feel that way. She and her husband have been married nearly 17 years. How could she possibly understand what is…or isn’t out here in the “world of singles.”
…but I’m nearly convinced that she has always known much more than I could possibly give her credit for.
After boarding my connecting flight and being in the air for a few hours, the overcast sky that surrounded Dallas had turned into a perfect view of the burning red sun that eventually caught up with the horizon. I sat in my window seat glancing back until everything above and beneath me was completely black.
It was then that I pondered the symbolism between the darkened night and my past relationships.
Occasionally a relationship will end mutually, with the understanding of both involved, that things just aren’t meant to be. There are also the ones that end with the words, “What was I thinking?” And then there are the ones that end in extreme heartache. The heartache that ultimately leaves you with the impression or assumption that maybe you are meant to spend the rest of your life alone. While that statement has haunted me more times than I can count, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it for me…
How did I get here?
A combination of those three scenarios…
Feeling the descent of the aircraft, the nerves once again bounced around inside of me. But they were no longer “unsettling” nerves. They were nerves of anticipation, because waiting for me outside of the baggage claim was the reason that I was stepping foot in San Juan. Someone I couldn’t wait to see. The answer to my question…
He was the one person I wanted to be standing next to when the final second of 2010 ticked away, and he was the first person I wanted to be next to when 2011 came to be. I wanted to walk away from the old and into the new with him. And it all worked out…
Four days didn’t seem like enough time…and before I knew it I was once again standing in the San Juan airport to head back home. After a handful of goodbyes and walking the dreadful steps to the security checkpoint I glanced back to see a man in his Army fatigues watching me with a smile…
The flight back home was long, but hopeful. I thought about every single moment in my life that led me to where I am. The heartaches, disappointments, the “what was I thinking” situations. They all got me here and I am thankful for each and every one.
And right now there’s no place I’d rather be.
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