I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! Such a wonderful, special, blessed day to me...
Are you awake? If you are reading this I assume you are physically awake - your eyes are at least half open! - however are you truly awake?
In the conclusion to his book, On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, John O'Leary talks about awakening. In it he tells a sweet story about he and his kids traveling to the city on the subway. While those who regularly ride the train slumber, mindlessly starting the day, his kids are fully alive & awake, excited for this new adventure. Can you remember? Can you relate? A few years ago I shared a story in a Happy Friday about my youngest Tender Warrior, Landry, helping me wash the car. I was going through the same old motions, doing the same old things, getting the job done. Landry? Well, I would hear a clicking sound and then the short "swoosh" sound as water left the nozzle. Click. Swoosh. Click. Swoosh. Wondering what in the heck was going on I went over to him. He wanted to know what "jet", "shower", "spray", etc. meant. He was wide awake, having a blast as his Dad slumbered.
When I read John's words I felt a conviction in my spirit...a, hmmm, wake up call. It is so easy to sleepwalk through this life however that is not really living! Have you ever gotten to work and you couldn't remember the drive there? You mindlessly drove your car to work, lost in the worries and cares of your day? Yeah, me too. And yet every single day I drive across a causeway, taking me from the mainland to the island where I work...talk about awe and wonder! A native Arizonan and I can mindlessly make this drive, surrounded by water, people fishing, seagulls flying, ships in the harbor...seriously?!?! At 6-years old I would have caused a traffic jam because I would have been going so slow trying to take it all in.
And while this example can be somewhat humorous, what about our marriages? Raising our kids? I am sure you and I are always fully present, right?!?! It's o.k., you don't have to answer! :)
What's not o.k. however is to keep sleepwalking once we are aware we are doing it. Don't sit there and have an argument with yourself right now. Please don't try to justify the things you do or don't do. It is really simple, we are either living fully present or we are not. While we might not like the answer this morning, the beautiful part is we can change it. It is a choice. A choice to be fully present. To put down the phone when your significant other, child, friend, or even a stranger, is talking to you. It is a conscious choice to be wherever you are...
As I have thought about being fully present this week I have done a little studying and have a few things I want to share with you.
1. One of the first things I thought of was Matthew 18:3 where Jesus says, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you change and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Does it strike anyone else as ironic that we, the adults, think we have to teach everything to our kids and yet it is them who are preaching a beautiful sermon to us simply by how they live their lives?!?! Just sayin'! Anyways, I came across an article written by AniMaamin titled The Reason Why God Wants You To Become Like a Little Child. You can read the full article at ccsouthbay.org. Here is a little excerpt from the article:
What Qualities Does a Child Have?
- A child is innocent.
- A child is trusting.
- A child believes without complication.
- A child has not had time to allow the preconceived notions of the world to form his decision-making process.
- A child receives with joy, forgetting herself with light-hearted abandonment.
- A child is humble.
- A child is content in the little things.
- A child has the faith to move mountains.
- A child is awed by majestic splendor.
- A child takes to heart God's Word in all its simplicity.
What would our lives look like if we lived with the qualities of a child? When I grow up I sure hope I can have the qualities of a child!!!
2. Remember when I asked about being present with your significant other and kids? Perhaps you will find this quote helpful:
"If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff." - C. M. Wallace
3. Here is a little challenge for us...
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein
You and I get to choose which way we will live...100% our choice. And the consequences of that choice are 100% ours as well!4. And finally, I want to share a couple of excerpts from On Fire:
"Every great spiritual teacher discusses the importance of being fully awake; of learning to live in the present moment. Not fixated on when things might get good in the future. Not mired in regret or defeat from something that happened in the past. But here. In this moment. In today."
"Every day holds the potential of a miracle.
Every moment, the seemingly positive or negative, provides the opportunity for possibility and beauty.
But you've got to open your eyes to see it. You've got to wake up."
It is a new day Friends! We can choose to wake up and to live fully present! This is my hope & prayer for each one of us today!
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families!
Kev
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