Imagine settling for a life you can have because you don’t have the courage to go after the life you really want. –Jill A. Davis
“Mom, Maddi’s arguing,” Jordan called out from the back seat of the car.
We had spent most of our day at a new park and beach. Before I had a chance to respond Maddi was explaining.
“Me not arguing! Me just telling you a story!” she said.
I thought tonight about my story. Whether I want it or not—this is my story and I need to trust that God will use it. The publisher I am working with believes my story will touch others in a powerful way. The ultimate hope is that my story will connect people to their faith—to deepen the faith they have or explore a faith they need.
Jordan continued to pester his sister on our drive home until our eyes connected in the rear-view mirror and he interpreted my motherly stare signaling him to stop.
“Is this accept-ta-bal behavior?” Jordan asked, sounding out the word “acceptable” as he spoke.
We spent the rest of our drive discussing acceptable behavior and part of the drive defining it. I thought about a quote from The Purpose Driven Life. It said:
To make the most of your time on earth, you must maintain an eternal perspective…Paul said, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). So much of what we waste our energy on will not matter even a year from now, much less for eternity. Don’t trade your life for temporary things.
There is so much to interpret in life. Both acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Somewhere in the midst of conversations between my clever three and four year olds, I decided I wouldn’t want to trade my life. I wouldn’t want to trade my life as a mom, a writer, a friend, a struggler, a musician, a child of God. I know this is a big claim, because I am not ready to write the word widow as a position “I wouldn’t want to trade”. Don’t trade your life for temporary things. Still if I’m not willing to trade my life, then I’m also not willing to settle in my life. This leaves me with my prayer for tonight:
Lord may I have the courage to go after the life I really want.
