A Hundred Small Things

Raising a little man is a wild ride, no doubt about that! It is also a fantastic adventure. In the past few days these words have come out of my mouth.... and I was 100% serious.
'Is that a noodle in your nose?'
'Please don't lick the bottom of Mommy's shoe..'
'Next time you find dog poop.... just leave it.'
I also found an excavator fridge magnet in the back pocket of my shorts (instead of the cash I was digging for..) and two crayons sticking out of the other pocket. Those lovely orange shades of Crayola are also, unfortunately, now melted to the front seat of my jeep.
I hear myself quoting Derek's mom on a regular basis. The most recent use of her terminology was delivered to an overly concerned mother after she noticed my son's scraped toe. She didn't seem very impressed when I replied, 'Oh, that's actually the first time he's bled today so we are doing good!' And although Owen has entered the rough, tough, constantly-needing-a-bandaid phase.. Derek didn't get the memo that he should be making his exit from that very same department!? If it's not the mini-man bleeding, it's definitely his father.
There is literally never a dull moment. But who would want that?

Being married consists of this same collision; part wild ride, part fantastic adventure all tangled up in the daily humdrum of life. We make hard decisions, we laugh about a bit of silliness that only the two of us understand. We play, we work, we carry each other when the road is rough. It's a journey, one that I wouldn't trade for anything else in the whole, wide world. But I will admit to occasionally wondering when it will be my turn to do something 'big' in this life. My bucket list is long!
I recently read some powerful words that have settled quite deeply into my heart. In true scatter brained, mother-of-a-wild-man form, I can not locate the actual quote and feel terrible for not giving credit to the person behind this insight. But it was something along the lines of 'I used to dream of the BIG thing I would do to have a powerful impact and be life-changing. Now I realize that the difference I get to make in this world will not come in the form of one big thing but rather a hundred small things.' Woah.

A hundred small boo-boos kissed, diapers changed, peanut butter sandwiches lovingly made. A hundred different love notes stuck on the inside of that lunch box or sore muscles rubbed as a hundred busy days come to an end. Can I truly revolutionize the world one bike ride at a time, one candle lit, one more time explaining why we don't write on our arms? Could this be my breath of fresh air, my permission to give fully right now because, as it turns out, the powerful impact I get to have in this world may be intertwined with all these mundane moments? This season is not the in-between.
Today, right now, as we pay taxes and wade through insurance policies, doing life together and cleaning one more scraped elbow and sitting down for a minute to just watch the sunset, I can be utterly alive because this is the essence of a life well lived: A hundred small things.  Could it be that rather than the few mountaintop experiences I long for, it is truly the hundred small things that make this journey extraordinary?

Derek says I've been a wanderer ever since he met me. Gypsy at heart; I crave the next adventure. I'm ALL about what's next. So as we recently reached the three year mark of our journey here on the Big Island of Hawaii, I was wrestling with a serious case of what I call RHS: restless heart syndrome. It's not that I don't absolutely love our life here; you'd have to be out of your mind not to! But the struggle is real and my spirit becomes heavy and I desperately need to know what is next. As I wade through emotions in attempts to uncover the heart of this matter, though, I keep coming back to contentment.

Jim Elliot said 'Wherever you are, be all there!' And in Philippians 4:12-13, Paul says he has 'learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.' Neither of these men seemed to think that you need be anywhere but in that moment, fully dependent on the One who gives you your next breath. Jesus himself, in the Sermon on the Mount, posed this question, 'Who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?' [Matthew 6:27]

No, I don't know 'what's next'. Yes, I may always long for the mission trips to third-world countries and more para-gliding excursions to take my breath away. But while these experiences are highlights and make me feel so very 'alive', they are temporary and I know that there has to be something more. I want to feel fully alive every day, as I grill cheese sandwiches to perfection or sit in the sand with Derek and watch the sun sink low. 

I'm realizing that the secret to contentment is made up of a few ingredients. I believe it includes a deep confidence in God and the faithfulness of His promises to us. It also stems from embracing whatever season He has placed you in. The different chapters of your journey may not always seem as vital as others; you may not feel like a game changer as you fold that hundredth load of laundry. But, trust me, it matters. Your life matters!
And those hundred small things, should you choose to do them, will change the lives of those around you. Do not ever underestimate the effects of your actions and how far they will reach. May we refuse to get so caught up in the grandiose and the exotic and a desperate need for a new adventure that we miss the absolute splendor of living fully in the only moment we truly have; right now, changing the world through a hundred small things. 

'Your life.. and what you do with it today.. matters forever.'  -Andy Andrews

Tuning in!

Finding a quality radio station on this island is easier said than done. Seriously. Since moving over here I've become a quasi-country music fan because, honestly, it's that or Mr. Bieber and I can NOT stomach the latter. There is one christian radio station but it tends to be half static except for right in front of our house. This is.. admittedly strange.
But I've recently realized that if I tune in to that station before leaving the driveway, the connection will hold almost all the way to my part-time secretary job (or Target.. let's face it, I'm usually driving to Target). If, however, I don't think of it until I'm turning on to the highway, my chances of tuning in to a static-free station drop dramatically and I usually end up bouncing back to the good ol' home-grown, small town, 'whiskey in my water' crooning. (And don't get me wrong... it's grown on me and you better believe I'm singing along!)

But what if this applies to more than just a radio station preference? What if tuning in right at the beginning can really make such a noticeable difference in the entire ride? Could I set my alarm just a few minutes earlier? (Okay, I shouldn't actually let you assume that I set my alarm at all. I wake up when Owen starts knocking on the wall that separates our bedrooms, requesting 'Food! Oats!' Hitting the 'snooze' simply changes his tune to, 'MOOOOMM! WAKUP!') But what if I took time to actually prepare myself spiritually, mentally, physically (maybe even put deodorant on!) before the business of a new day began?
Our days are a beautiful kind of crazy.  But the fact remains; when I'm not prepared for all that needs to be accomplished before nightfall, I'm going to be limping in at the end of the race. What if I refused to succumb to the attitude of 'Well, there's no time for my devotion again this morning..' falling back into what is 'easy' or static free but will ultimately leave me feeling even more depleted.
I know that you're busy, dear reader! We all are. It doesn't matter what different path we are each walking; it's human nature to fill our days chock full and then wonder why we're stressed out and exhausted. But we could start small. It can be simple! Maybe it's committing to a quick prayer before your feet hit the ground. Do some stretches while you brush your teeth. Read a chapter of the Bible while the coffee brews. Just a few forms of 'tuning in' that I've been trying to implement as I realize the substantial impact of these 'small' practices. Whatever form it may take, let's start tuning in..