“Be sure never to let your life go flat. Always know that God is calling you to ever greater things.”
– Henri Nouwen
If we were getting to know each other, the typical question we would ask is, “What do you do?”
But I learned from a beautiful gal named Erin to ask this instead, “What did you do today?”
-Today, I drank in an early morning run like some people drink coffee. The rhythmic motion of moving one foot in front of the other for miles and miles wakes me up to God, to my senses, to life. It’s cheap therapy for a girl prone to discouragement and paralyzing thoughts.
-I put a frozen waffle in the toaster and poured a bowl of cereal for two of my four kids. The other two still cozy in bed, and I am giving thanks for the lingering quiet before their voices become the background of my entire day.
-I quickly quizzed my son on his spelling words, practiced reading stories with him, while my daughter traced the letter “P” for Pumpkin. Trying to teach two kids at once makes me lose my mind multiple times. Teachers, how do you do it?!
-I prayed under my breath while showing them how to sew small buttons on burlap. Big decisions looming over our family once again. Although I’ve lived on three different continents, change is sewn into my story, but still it never comes easy.
-I walked through my garden and tangible peace rushed over me in the form of a rainbow of dahlias and zinnias and cosmos. A work of love and patience, proof that sowing seeds and waiting are enough to produce a miracle.
-I edited projects, dreamed up some more, and wrote pages of words in my head while doing dishes and wiping counter tops.
-Then, I felt the familiar urge to quit it all, my life insignificant, my work all for nothing, but I didn’t succumb to the lies.
Perhaps this is and will be the greatest little victory of my day.
-Instead, I whispered to my whirling mind, the truth it forgets every afternoon around 3 pm. I am His beloved, created for an intimate adventure with Him. And then, I moved forward with fresh excitement into all the unknowns ahead, wide-eyed like a kid on Christmas morn.
This is my art. Living an adventure with God along the quiet backroads. Seeing the winding paths and endless hours of my normal days rich with opportunities to set aside my self-made safety nets and simply trust Him.
And I want you to see your life that way too! It’s made all the difference for me.
There’s no telling where God might lead us when we accept His nudges to fly out of the nest of our comfort zones and quit trying to concoct a safe life, cooped up and stuck in our warm and worn ruts.
He sees today as the perfect time to take tiny risks, move through obstacles, come face-to-face with our fears, and push right past them with an energetic faith.
Now, I need to go wrangle ingredients to make dinner.
Finish the laundry.
Hug my husband.
Rouse napping children.
And go for a walk under the stars.
All of it, I’ve learned is ripe with wonder, His whispered invitations woven throughout my moments…
“Come…follow me…”
Care to join me on this adventure?
I’ve created a travel journal for our soul, and tons of other free resources to inspire us to see life as adventure and surrender to His sweet stirrings to find the treasures of trusting Him and pitching our tents in uncharted territory with joy!
Now, it’s your turn!
Pop me an email and tell me about all the ups and downs you are walking through in this season. I’d love to join you as a fellow traveler and risk taker, championing you to say YES to an adventure with Him!
