Tag Archives | risk

On the Other Side of Surrender – One Word 2011 Recap

December 28, 2011 in Just Life

Little did I know when I chose “surrender” as my one word for 2011 what the year would look like. One thing I did know for certain was that surrender wouldn’t come without pain. And I was right about that. But it was the most “good pain” I think I’ve ever experienced. Pain that comes from pruning. From the Gardener cutting away more of me to make room for more of Him. On the other side of that pain…on the other side of surrender…is life – a fuller life.

It’s been a beautiful discovery to see how the Father, in His grace, tenderly loves me to surrender. Surrender that can only come from a position of humility which is perhaps the best perspective from which to view this wonderful gift of life. The beautiful paradox is that on the other side of surrender is freedom.

Standing at the end of 2011 looking back, I know now that perhaps the greatest gift which lies on the other side of surrender is peace. Before I even realized it, I was walking by faith in spite of fear…taking each step as I choose daily to trust. And as a result, even in the midst of the storm & the pain & the suffering & the questions & the doubt there is peace. Peace because I am surrendered to His plan. The plan of the one who created the universe & holds it together.

Surrendering means letting go. Opening your heart to healing. Doing the work of forgiveness. Living honestly. Risking love. And accepting, with open hands & a grateful heart, whatever the Giver has in store. It isn’t easy. But I happen to think it’s worth the life, freedom, & peace that is waiting on the other side.

 Did you have a word for 2011? What lessons did you learn from it?

 

 

 

 

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Living Honestly

September 26, 2011 in Deep Thinking, Just Life

Over the last year I’ve been learning the need for & value of honesty. The kind of honesty that’s uncomfortable. That causes “opening a can of worms” moments. But the kind that is also life giving in friendships. That allows us to feel the freedom we have in Christ. And gives life incredible richness. I’ve come to realize that if I’m not living honestly, then I’m not fully living. 

I don’t know about you but I don’t want half living. I don’t want to fear honesty. And for me, that requires a shift from “What will people think?” to “It doesn’t matter what people think, who I am is enough.” Because fearing what people will think keeps me from being honest.

That shift requires choosing to practice courage, living honestly, & risking vulnerability. I read recently that courage originally meant “to speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.” I’m committed to living that way because I’m beginning to think it’s the only way to really, truly, fully live. If we’re not honest it seems we’re living in a false reality of sorts.  

Yes, honesty will bring hurt. It may ruin friendships, make business inconvenient, and force some tough conversations. But, if it means being fully alive…being alive to experience every single bit of the joy life has to offer, then I’m in. Even it means taking the pain along with it.

Who’s with me?

 

 

 

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Be Passionate About Something

April 30, 2011 in Just Life

Please don’t settle. Don’t settle for complacency. For simply surviving life.
Live it. Enjoy it. Savor it. Treasure it.
Anything less and you are cheating yourself.
Cheating yourself out of joy. Of experiences. Of memories. Of relationships. Of laughter. Of beauty.
And if you cheat yourself I believe you are cheating the world. Because the world won’t get all God created you to be if you’re settling.

Be passionate about something.
Whether it’s photography or mowing lawns, writing stories or making jewelry, building houses or making coffee, playing music or singing or cooking, being a parent or preaching or traveling.
Whatever it is, be passionate about it. Care about it. Refuse to settle.

And invite other people into your dream for life. Share your vision. Give the rest of us the joy of seeing you come to life when talking about your dream.

 

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Ponder…Begin

April 14, 2011 in Ponder...

All this will not be finished in the first hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
-John F. Kennedy

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to be reminded that I cannot do everything but that shouldn’t stop me from doing something. That just because I might not see the end of something doesn’t mean I can’t see the beginning.

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Squashing Creativity and Lots of Questions

February 23, 2011 in Creativity, Deep Thinking

When I was a child I had big dreams. I created with abandon. I didn’t care what people thought. Somewhere along the way I learned that creating & dreaming meant risk and that risk was bad. And that everyone would simply laugh at me if I failed. And they encouraged me to just do what was safe. And so I did.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard a musing similar to that in the last couple of months. It makes me kinda sad. I think it’s great that we’re aware of our society’s tendency to kill creativity and that we want to try to change that that future generations. But how?

How do we stop from simply reacting to that process and instead proactively change the process? Prevent the squashing of creativity before it happens. Can we have streamlined organizations that run efficiently and value individual creativity at the same time? Should efficiency even be something we strive for? Do organizations need to be smaller in order to accomplish this? How many generations will it take to make the change?

Clearly I have more questions that I have answers at this point. But I’d love to hear your thoughts because it seems this whole idea of creativity being squashed is a recurring theme. And I think there’s probably a reason for that.

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