After reading the first section of Simply Tuesday (pages 1-67), I feel like my soul just took a big gulp of fresh air.
Life has been full recently. Maybe more than full? Crammed might be a better word.
I didn't realize how out-of-breath my soul felt. Squeezed. Pressed. Bordering on hyperventilating.
So I savored that fresh air. And I savored the words that spoke life into my heart and soul.
The words that challenged me to slow down. To embrace small. To let go of hurry.
I read a section on my Morning Motivation Show this morning that really challenged me. You can watch it here.
Of that entire section, this line was probably my favorite: "If the light of a Tuesday morning candle isn't bright enough to light the room, a spotlight won't be either."
We tend to think the spotlight is where it's at. That spotlights equal success.
But success comes in many shapes and forms. It might be serving your neighbor. Or putting a healthy meal on the table. Or rocking your baby. Or reading to a child. Or helping a co-worker. Or working in the garden. Or writing that blog post.
"When I want to climb the ladder, what if instead, I tore the ladder apart and used the wood to build a bench?"
Don't chase after the spotlights and the success ladders. Invest in the work right in front of you. Invest in the people right next to you - in your home, in your child's class, at your community center, at your church, at the office, on your block.
"But people don't need fancy and flashy, they probably just want regular. They don't need a fixer, they need a journeyer. They just need to sit on a bench with someone else so they know they're not alone. I know this, because it's what I need, too."
This challenged me. Because I tend to want to be a fixer. I'm a person who loves to practically help. I like to trouble-shoot and problem-solve. But I'm learning that often people don't need solutions; they just need a listening ear.
"What if we stopped asking God for big ways to serve Him and started walking with our friend Jesus into the next simple moment in front of us."
Did you read the first section of Simply Tuesday? If so, I'd love to hear what sections impacted you or challenged you. Tomorrow, we'll read section 2 (pages 67-119).
