Choices, Choices

 I was recently asked to write my biography.  It was interesting to work on it and recall the most impactful moments of my life, the moments that formed me into who I am today.  I felt some shame and doubts as I was writing. Shame about the mistakes I had made that caused major life disruptions and course changes, and doubt about whether my life’s accomplishments were “important enough” to share with others.  Yes, I’ve accomplished some big things in life, but, like most people, I’ve also made some big mistakes. All of my choices -good and bad- have shaped me into the woman I am today.  The thing is, we all have a story that will end up being written in a bio or a eulogy about us one day.  If you had to rely on someone else to write your story, what are the aspects of your life that you’d like them to share?

If you were asked to write your biography today, which life events have made the most impact on you? Which relationships matter most to you? Are you happy with where your story currently stands?  Where do you hope it will end, and what will it take for you to try to create the life you want?  Of course, many things in life that dramatically impact us are out of our control, like an unfaithful spouse, the death of a child, or a serious health condition.  But the beautiful, wonderful thing about life is that some things are within our control- such as how we respond to our life circumstances.  We can make new choices each day to create positive outcomes.  If you do not like where your life has taken you so far, what choices can you make today that could positively impact your life?  For example, even though I became pregnant as a young, broke, college student, and subsequently became a single parent, I knew that if I finished my degree, I would be able to build a more financially secure life for my daughter and myself.  Would that mean that everything would be perfect and did that guarantee a financially secure life? Of course not, but it was a step in the right direction.  The little steps we take in life that lead us toward the right direction truly make all the difference.  Maybe it’s finally ending the toxic long-term relationship you’re in.  Maybe it’s forgiving an abusive relative (but that doesn’t mean you have to include them in your life!). 

There’s a story in the Bible, in John, chapter 4, about a woman who had an interaction that dramatically impacted her and changed the course of her life.  We do not know her name, but we know that she was a Samaritan, which was an ethnic group with which Jewish people did not associate.  She came up to draw water from a well where Jesus, a Jewish man, was resting and asked for a drink.   I imagine the shocked look on her face when, as scripture notes, she questioned why he would be asking her for a drink.  At one point in their conversation, Jesus tells her to go and get her husband. She then tells him that she does not have one.  Of course, he already knew this, and he tells her so.  He knows that she has had five husbands and the man she is living with isn’t even her husband. Jesus would ultimately tell her the good news- that he was the Messiah. He told her that it didn’t matter where you come from, but as long as you worship God in spirit and in truth, you will have eternal life with him.  The point of this story is to show that it doesn’t matter where you come from, or the choices you have made- good or bad- and it doesn’t matter where you choose to worship God, so long as you worship him with your whole being (this is a whole topic for a later post!).

We do not know what became of her after that.  What we do know is that she made a great impact on the world by making the choice to believe Jesus and to share his good news with others afterward.  It was a simple choice that made a dramatic impact.  We don’t hear about her again in scripture, but we know that moment had a highly positive impact on her.  Maybe if she had written her biography, she would have written that she had a tough life of simply trying to survive each day.  She then met Jesus, who offered unconditional love and forgiveness, and her life was never the same.  Her conversation with Jesus changed the trajectory of her life.  I would love to know what happened in her life after that, but I’m sure, though imperfect, it had improved.

My life has been full of ups and downs. I’ve made bad choices, and others have made choices that have negatively impacted my life. I have gone through childhood abuse and have been in other abusive relationships. Those were choices others made, which I will have to live with and work through the rest of my life.  All of these choices have led me in various directions, and have been difficult to deal with, but each time that I’ve decided to take a positive step/make a positive choice after a bad one (made by myself or others), my life has ultimately improved.  Of course, I can’t say that every positive choice we make will ensure an easy life.  That is not what I’m saying at all.  My life certainly has not been easy.  However, like the woman at the well, I have met Jesus. He’s told me about myself and told me that he still loves me and has a great purpose for my life. 

I challenge you today to write out your life story. Write down the most impactful events and relationships, and where they have taken you so far. Now, write down what you want to do next. What are your goals? How would you like your story to end up?  We know that we cannot control what happens in our lives, but we can control our actions and how we respond to events and to others.  What actions will you take next to help you get where you want to be?   

While we know that positive choices do not guarantee an easy life, if you stay focused on God and on loving others as you love yourself, no matter what happens, your personal story will end well.  You will have lived a life to be proud of.  God will be with you every step of the way- regardless -if you make good or bad choices.  The woman at the well represents all of us.  We all have a past- but, more importantly, we have a future.  Whatever your situation is, you can make choices each day that will help give you the personal biography that you’d be proud to share. 

My Breakup Letter to the Church

Disclaimer: I know a lot of wonderful people that go to church regularly and are even in leadership positions, who I would never want to hurt by any statements I make. This letter is a general statement on how I feel about “the church” right now, due to recent events, which is not a specific attack on any specific building or congregation.  The pastors that I personally know are very kind, caring people and truly want to make a positive difference.  

Maybe this resonates with you?  I wonder if I’m alone in these thoughts- but don’t believe that I am.  I hope that this piece is helpful to you- as that is why I share anything that I write. 

The bottom line for me is that we are all called to live like Christ- We are all called to love our neighbors as ourselves, give whenever asked (and even when not), and to read and follow God’s word.  Being a member of one church is not what we have been called to, though it gives comfort and a sense of purpose to many, which I acknowledge.  I realize this may be controversial to some, so hopefully you can hear my heart.  I just want better for us all. I want to be able to experience God’s kingdom on earth, which has been his plan for us all along- only if we allow it to happen.  My prayer for myself is that I can find a community again of believers that truly love the world like Jesus did, love their neighbors as themselves (you know, that conveniently forgotten commandment), and who boldly and compassionately stand for justice and mercy.

Dear Church,

It breaks my heart to write this.  I’ve spent my whole life loving you, but it is time to move on. I’ve given so much of my time in various capacities, teaching kids church, setting and cleaning up events, volunteering my time to teach adult classes. Valuable time that I could have spent with my own children or husband that I can never get back.  I’ve been the first to show up to help and the last to leave after an event or service.  I have even felt the sting of judgment from others when I was a single mother and work prevented me from attending all of the many “revival” nights at the church I attended at the time. 

There’s been plenty of good times, like when I have witnessed actual miracles- like the man that was wheelchair bound that got up and walked during a service and never went back to his chair, which happened many years ago back at my church in Oregon.   I’ve cried tears of joy for my friends and for myself when we’ve felt the spirit move.  

However, more recently, I have felt disappointed and angry when leaders have not addressed important issues properly (or at all) that were happening in the world such as the civil unrest and the global pandemic in 2020, the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021, or the more recent illegal immigration arrests in our country.  It seems that leadership has made these issues pollical, rather than personal to us all, so they decided to keep “safe” by just not saying anything at all about it.  True enough, some have made statements on social media, which is good- and a positive step in the right direction, but, they have remained silent at the pulpit, which they know is where their voice is strongest.

I’m just going to have to spell this out clearly for you- I’m breaking up with you.  It’s been a good run. I’ve learned so much about myself because of you and so much about the world as well. You have given me a sense of purpose over the years.  It’s just time for us to part.  The final straw for me was your response (or lack thereof) to the most recent events happening in our world. Donald Trump was elected President again in November, and much like when he was elected before, you have not said or done anything to show that you are against who he has shown himself to be or his policies.  He is a known racist, rapist, womanizer, child molester, financial crook- the list goes on and on – yet, you choose to ignore everything because of where you believe he stands on certain issues that you are against.

I guess the most important issue for you was abortion. You worried that if he wasn’t elected that more babies would be aborted. Sadly, you were duped. The politicians convinced you to vote on that one issue (maybe you were also super worried about homosexuals?!), so you did, and now we are here.  What is crazy is that the abortion issue isn’t even front and center for Trump. He manipulated you to think that it was important to him- even to get you to believe he was actually a Christian.  Yet, since he’s been elected, his administration has ended funding for many organizations that feed people around the world and in the U.S.  They shut down USAID and the reports show that thousands are literally dying or have died already due to this.  We have heard hundreds of horror stories about Trump’s immigration policies and procedures, which are certainly illegal and racist.  Somehow, you’ve been convinced to fight more for policies that protect the unborn than on the ones that protect all ages and stages in life. 

Trump also shut down diversity, equity, and inclusion related federal programs, which caused instant financial devastation to many families, including my own, as my husband lost his job surrounding it.  This has caused, not only  financial problems, but it will ultimately result in the backtracking of years of progress we had made as a country to leveling out the playing field for people of color, people with disabilities, and women.  In fact, he just decided to remove free admission for national parks for the MLK and Juneteenth holidays, swapping them out for free admission only on his birthday, instead.  The man is clearly racist, which has been reported for years, yet, similarly to everything else, you’ll say nothing about these recent events, as well.

Some of his top officials have also publicly stated they believe women should not be allowed to vote, that they should be homemakers rather than work.  It is a very scary and alarming situation for women right now, but you’ve also been silent on this issue. If I’m being honest, you have always thought less of women and only allowed women in certain leadership positions- rarely if ever- as lead pastors, so it’s not entirely surprising.

Trump has even allowed his crooked military leaders to shoot and kill people in boats in Venezuela with no evidence shown that the people were actually drug dealers, as alleged, yet, at the same time, he just pardoned a known drug lord that was to be imprisoned for many years because of the drug related crimes he was convicted of. Very contradictory, wouldn’t you agree?

Not to mention, you completely haven’t addressed the fact that, because of Trump’s inadequate (criminal?) response to Covid in 2020, the U.S. had one of the worst levels of deaths in the world.  I even remember your leaders not appropriately addressing mask usage in services, which I guess was because Fox news made it seem that wearing masks was a political agenda instead of something we could all do to help each other survive.

There’s just been too many bad things happening in the world that you have failed to address.  I know, no one is perfect, and you’ve tried your best.  I get it, you have a business to run, and there are certain things you just cannot say.  It’s just that I'm at a time in my life where I need to spend my valuable time in places that align with who I am and my own values. I also don’t need you to learn about Jesus.  I’ve seen too many teachers get up, with little to no Biblical/seminary education, yelling from the pulpit, and trying to teach me things out of the Bible that don’t align with how I read it and what I know about Jesus.  Are you all the same? Absolutely not. I will find another church someday, maybe. It is possible that I’ll find a new church that aligns with who I am as a person which openly addresses current problems in our world. 

I’m really thankful for my friends right now.  Breakups are always hard, and they are right beside me to help me through this one. You see, they love Jesus like I do, which makes it easier to see that I need them, and I don’t need you.

Before I go, I want to say thank you. Thank you for all of the good times- which were many.  I trust that you’ll be fine without me and I without you.  It’s ok, we’re both grown and we will be ok.  You can continue on your journey of trying your best to teach about Jesus.  Please try to not get caught up in the money, the fame, and all the things that come with growth. I just ask you to please reconsider how you address current events and not worry so much about losing people.  Jesus had a small group of followers for a reason.  People will fall off when the truth is really told.  Maybe my truth is different from yours, though, and that’s ok.  I know it’s time to move on because of this fact- that our truths do not align.  I will continue to learn about Jesus through his word, through preachers and teachers I find that align with it, and will continue on my own journey of becoming exactly who he needs me to be.  The holy spirit is with me, guiding me through this life experience, just as he has guided me all along.

Goodbye, dear Church.  I once loved you, but I love Jesus and myself more, so it’s sayonara for now.  Don’t call me- I’ll call you.

Mommy Issues

 As March is National Women’s History Month, I have been thinking a lot about the important women in the world and especially the ones that have greatly impacted my life.  While we still have a long way to go, countless women have trailblazed the path for us so that we can be where we are now.  Women in leadership continue to work hard towards equality each day.  As a leader in my office, I strive to be a good example for all of the female leaders around me and to foster an environment where the voices of women are equally as important as the voices of men. 

We live in a culture where we generally adore our mothers.  Our moms are hugely important to us.  When everyone else in the world may let us down, it seems that Mom is always there. 

However, that is not always the case. Some of us have “mommy issues,” where they are not so close to their mothers.  It’s something we don’t often discuss because it almost seems taboo to do so.   

Throughout the years, I have had some trouble understanding my mother.   We have not been very close during my life, and we have not had the connection that I thought I would always want for us.  Thankfully, more recently, we have been getting closer, and have been building up a friendship, which makes me so happy!

Regardless of my feelings about my mom and of what I have believed our relationship should be, I realize how much of a gift to the world that she truly is.  She is one of the most loving, caring, and beautiful people there is.  She wasn't just placed on this planet to parent me, so it would be selfish of me to be mad about any parenting related frustrations I may have had over time. 

In fact, I know that I have my own parenting imperfections, so it's not right to judge her or anyone else due to that fact! 

My mom would literally pull the shoes off her feet and give them to someone if she knew they needed them.  She loves and cares for her friends in a deep way and always tries to be supportive and give loving advice.  Despite having had a rough go at life, experiencing the loss of her dad at 5 years old, surviving a very abusive marriage, and several other difficulties, she always remains positive, optimistic, and loving.  She always tries hard to positively contribute to the world around her.  I just love and respect her so much for the woman she is.

I share this today because perhaps there are some of you that wish you had a different relationship with your mother, which has made it hard for you to forgive her, and ultimately made it hard for you to accept her for who she is.  I want to encourage you to forgive, take any other steps needed to repair your relationship, and love her for who she is.  Every mother-daughter/mother-son relationship does not look the same.  Yes, she is your mother, but she is so much more to the world.  Her sole purpose was not to be your mother. It’s important to remember that, as it will help soften your heart and will ultimately mend your relationship. 

I am praying with you over this issue.

With all my love,

Lyrica

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

When we moved to NC from Oregon 13 years ago, I took a job in a new career field- working for the federal government- writing disability decisions.  Before moving, I had been the counselor at two elementary schools, meeting with literally hundreds of students each week, which I thought was my calling and my dream job. I went from that to sitting behind a computer screen and reviewing records and writing about them- by myself- for eight hours straight each day.  It was a drastic career change.

At first, it was a welcomed relief, as counseling was tough emotionally.  However, after a while, I started to feel out of sorts, as if I was doing something contrary to who I was, which was a people person, who loved to help children and someone who always worked in jobs that also felt like ministry.  I questioned why I had stepped away from a career that I had thought was my calling and what I had worked so hard in school for.   I started to feel depressed and worried that I had missed my calling and that I just flat out was not doing what I was supposed to be doing, according to what God wanted for my life.  I even held it against my husband for a while- acting as if he took me away from my “calling,” even though this was a choice we both made together.   

I became very worried that I was living in a way that was against God’s will- all because I had changed careers.

Man, how many of us “churchy” folks have been worried about living within God’s will our whole lives; especially when talking about our career choice?  Even as a teenager, I worried about it.  I worried that I would not find my “calling” and would miss out on the wonderful life that God had planned because of it. 

When we ask what God’s will is for our lives, we first need to stop and ask ourselves what his will is, in general.  When Jesus was asked about what his greatest commandment was, he simply stated that the first and greatest one was to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matt 22:37).  He then stated that the second greatest one was to love your neighbor as yourself.  He said that all of the other rules stemmed from these two.  Again, as I’ve said multiple times, I am no theologian, so take or leave what I am about to say….. If Jesus stated these were the two most important laws, then wouldn’t it make sense that if we are following these two commandments we are living in his will?  Our specific job title is not important to God, but our heart, character, and how we love/treat others is what matters. 

Here I am, 13 years later, working at the same office, but I have worked my way up into the director position, which I would have never imagined would have happened for me when I started all those years ago.  You see, God knew what was coming my way, and I just had to step forward each day, one step at a time, work hard, love God and others, and trust that he was guiding my path.   I am now in a position where I truly feel like I can use all the skills and abilities he has given me and lead others in such a way that shows God’s love each day.  I am very grateful and happy to be where I am now and feel as if I’m living out my purpose.  I never would have thought back when I was working on my master’s degree in counseling that I would wind up using my counseling skills as a leader in an office one day and not actually as a counselor by trade.

So, take a deep breath, relax, and quit worrying about whether you should stop taking computer classes and join a monastery.   As long as you are following these two commandments, your actual career path is not important to God.  If you are living out these rules- or at least working on them daily because none of us are perfect at it- you are within his will for your life. 

I have spent many unnecessary years throughout my life worrying about this (before God healed my anxiety, of course), so I thought I’d share my revelation with you on this.  I hope that you will feel content with where you are now and not worry about whether you’re pursuing the career that God intended for you.  He cares about your heart- let him work on that first and the rest will fall into place.

With love,

Lyrica

Sabbathing Like Nobody's Business

 Growing up, I often heard the word “Sabbath” used by the adults around me.  To be honest, I mostly remember my adult family members arguing about what day of the week it should be celebrated- Saturday or Sunday- as well as whether we were still supposed to honor it.  As a kid, it sounded super boring and I worried it was a day where we either had to nap all day or sit and pray, read the Bible, or sing.  A day where doing anything that was actually fun was not allowed.  As an adult, I’ve had a mixture of feelings about it.  I have often felt like it’s a legalistic activity to participate in- under the old law that Jesus essentially erased when he came along.  I was pulling weeds one Sunday afternoon after church and I had a neighbor come and ask me if I was honoring the Sabbath by pulling weeds.  I honestly was a little offended at the time, but now that I know more about what the Sabbath is and the gift that it is, I see that his question was loving.

Some of you may be wondering what the Sabbath is.  In a nutshell, it all started with creation.  God created the world in 6 days and on the seventh day, he rested. Genesis 2:2 says that he finished the work he had been doing (you know, just some minor tasks like creating the oceans, sun, moon, and stars) and then rested on that day.  He not only blessed the seventh day, but he also made it holy.  It is profound to me that the introduction to the love story that is the Bible tells us that God found resting to be so sacred that he considered it holy.  In Deuteronomy, we read about the Ten Commandments.  One of the commandments that we often ignore is found in chapter 5, verse 12, where God commanded the Israelites to observe the Sabbath and not do any work on that day.  It was so important to God, that he had it on the list of the ten essential rules to follow.

I am apparently at a place in my life where I am suddenly open to this concept and my eyes have been opened to the fact that, all these years, I’ve never observed the Sabbath! Old rule or not, a full day of rest would certainly be a welcome gift- yet, I’ve ignored it. 

You would normally write a book review after finishing a book, right?  Well, if you have learned anything about me by now, you probably realize I tend to do things in life just a little bit differently, so you are getting a book review while I’m about halfway through a book.  I have been reading John Mark Comer’s book titled The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.  I am just so excited about it, that I can’t wait to tell you about it.  This book is life-changing.  In a brief synopsis, it’s about how we live in a distracted, hurried culture, where we are going full force all day every day and taking little to no time to rest.  When I say rest, I mean really resting.  Resting our souls.  It’s like the feeling we have after all of the Christmas activities have been completed and we’re cuddling up on the couch with our loves to watch a movie- feeling full satisfied and not worrying about anything else but being together at that point.  It’s getting in touch with who we truly are and focusing on who God is so that we know him and, thus, know ourselves as he is within us.  I know I am getting deep here, as you probably expected me to just talk about the importance of napping.  Don’t get me wrong- I am all for a good nap.  Big napping advocate here.  I personally do not take enough naps, whatsoever.   

It goes deeper than napping.  Mr. Comer defined the Sabbath in such easily understandable terms that I finally get it.  He notes that, as long as what you are doing can be defined as rest or worship, you are honoring the Sabbath.  Sitting down with friends and catching up over a bottle of wine- that’s resting, folks!  That may look different for each of us.  One thing that really stood out to me that he mentioned was that, if we are not honoring the Sabbath, we are going against the rhythm of life that God intended for us.  He rested on the first seventh day ever, which started the healthy rhythm and balance of life.  If we aren’t sabbathing, we are going against the grain.  We aren’t living the full, healthy, satisfied lives that God intended for us.  That makes sense, right?  I mean, how many of us feel unrested and dissatisfied much of the time?  It is because we are not taking the time to rest our souls.

Get you some Sabbath in your life.  I am committing to you right now that I am going to work at it.  I know it will take some getting used to, and my Monday through Fridays will look a little different to get ready for fully resting on Saturday, but I am ready to be in my natural rhythm.  I’m ready to enjoy rest, as God intended for me.  How about you?

With all my love,

Lyrica

To Give or Not to Give... That is the Question

Mose and I were asked to pray over the tithes and offerings at our church on Sunday.  It was such an honor to be asked to do it. However, I immediately felt a little nervous and knew that I needed to prepare what I wanted to say.  I knew I needed to ask God what I should say and how I should pray.  It was a big responsibility, and I did not want to mess it up.

Giving has always been a touchy subject for Christians.  Do we still tithe 10% as the word says in the Old Testament, even though we are living under the new covenant?  The concept of tithing and pastors asking for money have even turned many away from the church. We are sensitive about our money, to be sure!  How dare anyone tell us what to do with it?  Unless, of course, it’s our financial advisors… But, I digress…

After I asked the Lord to show me what he wanted me to say and what to pray for, he directed me to read 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9.  We often hear 2 Corinthians 9:7 quoted in the church, which talks about the importance of giving cheerfully and not because of feeling forced into it.  However, have you personally read both of these chapters in their entirety?  Paul is encouraging the church to give in these chapters and outlines the importance of it.  If you read them in their entirety and they do not convince you to give, I don’t know what will.

I grew up with parents who do not believe we should tithe to a particular church.  They believe we should give to “the church” which is believers, but also to the poor and needy in our community.  I would say I have adopted the same mentality, pretty much, as it is biblically sound.  However, for the last few years, my husband and I have steadily tithed and given it to a specific church.  I would say this comes from us trusting the church leadership to carefully steward it on our behalf.  They can make the money work for the community in a bigger way than we can.  It is important to watch and see what your church does with their money.  I know that’s blunt, and possibly a little painful for some of you churchy people to hear, but it’s the truth.  In our church, we see the leadership helping members in our congregation who need help, as well as helping out other churches in need, such as a church that sustained a building fire, for example.

Giving to others is essentially the premise of our faith- or religion- if you will. How do I know? James 1:27 says that pure religion in God’s eyes is caring for widows and orphans and refusing to let the world corrupt you (NLT).  I won’t get into the second point in that verse right now, but, we need to focus on the caring for widows and orphans part.  What does this look like?  In my mind, widows and orphans are some of the most vulnerable in our population.  They especially need our help.  When I think of this group, I also put single moms and their children in the same boat.  Paul told the church that, when we care for others by giving, we will lead them to God because they will be thankful to him (my paraphrasing and I am by far not a theologian!).  How much would we change the world if we cared for our vulnerable populations, such as single mothers?  If we help them financially and tell them it comes from the Lord, how could they not turn to him or at the very least be a little curious and possibly get one step closer to knowing God?  I was a single mom for a few years before I met Mose, and they were some of the toughest years of my life.  I was working full-time, going to school full-time, and raising my daughter.  I had many scary nights where I wanted to give up.  Had my church helped me out financially during that time, I likely would have leaned more on God and would have made smarter lifestyle choices!  I am just saying…

I love that my church gives to single mothers in our congregation. I’ve seen it happen a few times now, and it’s so beautiful.  It’s as it should be, and it honestly helps me to feel comfortable to continue to give directly to the church because I know they are stewarding it well.  If we do not have a church that is taking care of the community and the church members in such a way, then we need to take the extra step with our giving and directly support other ministries or organizations that are caring for the vulnerable people in our community.  In that way, we are fulfilling James 1:27. 

Since Mose and I have been tithing, we have not lacked.  We have even been generously blessed by God and many doors have opened to us in the last few years that I believe are in direct correlation.  I share this not to brag, but to encourage you to consider giving if you are not already doing so.  Pray and ask God what you should give and who you should give it to and be obedient.  When we give big, we are rewarded big.  I am not saying that means we’ll all become wealthy because that’s not what the word is saying.  Our rewards are mostly spiritual and therefore invaluable.

As Paul told the church, search your heart, and give what you believe you can give.  Don’t give so that you will suffer, and others will gain, but give so that we can have more equality amongst us.  Uh oh… that’s something a lot of Christians don’t want to hear- that whole equality piece.  That is the opposite of the old “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality.  But, you didn’t hear it from me… Paul said it first and it’s in God’s word, which means it comes directly from God.  Read the chapters and you’ll see.

With all my love,

Lyrica

Run Your Race

Hebrews 12:1 (NLT): “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

I jogged through my neighborhood at 5 a.m. this morning with my lovely neighbor and friend, Amy.  It was a pain to get up that early.  It was very cold, as it was 35 degrees.  I also went to bed too late last night, so I did not get a full night of rest. I had every reason to decide not to go but I made myself do it because I knew she was counting on me, and I knew I needed it.  I have been working at getting back into running regularly, so when she invited me to run with her a few mornings a week, I was excited to accept the offer.  The holidays and the weather have resulted in some breaks for us, but, overall, we have been getting after it and it has felt really good. This morning, I am feeling so energized! I need to remember this feeling the next time I feel unmotivated to run.

But, I digress.  The point of this post is not to guilt-shame you for not working out. Lord knows I have my many moments of not wanting to exercise and have kept my butt right on the couch or in bed. Running is such a metaphor for life. I have mentioned this before on my blog and I continue to feel this way.  Each of us is on our own path.  We are the main actors in our own production and everyone else is the supporting actors.  We each have our own race that God has set before us, as the verse mentions.  We live in a time where we are so overly focused on others’ lives by way of watching their stories on various social media platforms that we often forget to live out our own lives.  For instance, there have been many times when I planned to workout, write, or read a book that I’ve been meaning to read, only to start scrolling on my phone.  I become so enveloped in what is happening in my friends’ lives that I forget that I wanted to enrich my own life and I miss out on that.  I’m not running my race because I’m too busy watching everyone else’s.

Of course, we want to support and encourage others and we should not be selfish.  We should always have a mindset of ministry and of being a servant.  That is our primary race and it requires great endurance.  It is difficult to be a servant and to constantly work on being unselfish.  How can we serve others if we are always distracted?  I am certainly guilty, as I’ve mentioned several times on my blog, so I am lovingly sharing my thoughts on this for both of our benefits.  I encourage you today to run your race.  What does your specific, individual race look like?  What were you placed on this earth to do?  It’s time to pray and ask God to show you what that is – and listen to what he says.  If you are not in his word, and not praying and sitting in his presence often, you will have a hard time hearing his answer, by the way.  

When I run full marathons (that is 26.2 miles for those that don’t know and think any race is called a marathon- it’s not!), I stop and take photos, I meet new friends, and it’s a whole experience for me.  That’s the race I choose to run.  When we are running our “race” of life, we similarly need to take the time to enjoy it in such a way.  Take the time to capture the special moments and invest in others.  Take the time to hear God’s voice and enjoy his friendship.  Don’t run so hard and stay so focused that you miss out on the little things that make life so precious.   We can run with endurance and enjoy the race at the same time, so we need to remember that.  As the verse mentions, staying away from sin is going to help us run the race that God meant for us.  It will also help us enjoy it.  I could write a whole book on this, but I’ll keep it brief for those of you that are like me and have a short attention span.  God didn’t give us rules to follow in order to make our lives boring. It is the opposite, actually. If we stay away from sin (we can never be perfect, of course!), we can live the fullest lives possible and enjoy all that he intended for us to enjoy.  It’s really that simple. 

Let’s run our own races, friends, and be the best we can be – for ourselves and others.  Don’t let life pass by and miss out on all that God intended for you.  The path for your race is open and ready for you to get on it.  What are you waiting for?

With all my love,

Lyrica