When I think about everything that happens in our world on a daily basis - especially this past year. Unprecedented things have happened. Things happened that we couldn’t dream up. Things that appear it would be a fictional movie played out before our eyes.

But the truth is, no matter what is happening in the world - what creates muddy waters are our roles in the thick of it all. We are always going to have things happening we don't understand. We are always going to have things happening that are less than ideal and discouraging. 

This can be stressful and it can blindside us to the point of paralysis or we can ask God - what is my role in this? How can you use me for the plans you have for me? How can I be a light in this dark situation? 

When we are clear on Gods will for our lives, no matter what is happening around us - we can navigate it with hope or we can navigate it with nope. 

Hope says use me despite it

Nope says, its too hard and I cant 

Stewardship is a concept that God asks us to test him with. God wants to know we trust him. He wants us to turn back over what he has generously given us so that we can see how he is faithful. We can’t see his faithfulness when we don’t turn over what rightfully belongs to Him anyway. Time is his. Money is his. The talents we have, he gave us. He desires us to test him with what we have, turn it back over to him and ask him to use us to show his faithfulness. 

This year has been unearthing for so many. It’s actually painful to think about the magnitude of pain we have navigated as a society, The disappointment that we all experienced on so many levels. 

But how much really will change when that clock moves? 

It will reflect an opportunity. It will reflect hope for better days ahead. But what if we don’t experience that? 

Will we be ok?

What would you consider the good life? Dream job? Dream vacations? Dream kids making dream decisions that paint this beautiful picture to be a reflection of how we raised them? 

When I think about what the world says and what God says, they don’t really line up quite the same. 

How in the world do you know where to go on a day to day basis if you don’t know what the end game is?

But there is The space between contentment and striving for more that gets me every time. Why do I have such a strong drive and so often I feel that it conflicts with the inner desire to just be content with what I have. 

Why can’t what I have be good enough?

I have found that looking around at others for my barometer for contentment leaves me feeling empty and sad and like I am missing out. But when I stop and think about what I do experience in my life on a regular basis, I have soooo much to be thankful for and when I list and acknowledge those things, I feel so much better. 

Why do the Sally’s and the Joe’s in our life always seem to get what we want? 

Politics - who will be the next leader of our country?

We are divided as a nation on some major life impacting topics

We are navigating a world wide pandemic

The truth is - we want the truth. 

The truth is - we may never get it 

The truth is - lies are being told

I don’t know about you but I don’t like being deceived and I certainly don’t like being lied to. 

I don’t consider myself as a person who doesn’t speak the truth at all times but I do sometimes have a story that I tell that protects people from being hurt that is not always 100% the truth. 

Have you ever sent a text or an email to someone and you don’t get a reply back? And then later that night you are laying in bed; maybe you had fallen asleep and woke up and wondered why they hadn’t replied or maybe you can’t even fall asleep thinking about what could possibly be the reason they haven’t responded.

If I had a nickel for every time someone has told me they “just saw my message" or "oh my gosh, I just realized I never hit send"….. I would be independently wealthy. 

Maybe it's just me. Maybe it’s the people I am in relationship with? Maybe it’s the type of questions I ask. I do a lot of communicating with people in my practice via email or text in follow up and checking in to see how they are doing on their wellness journey. 

Maybe it's not just me and maybe this does happen to you? 

There is no doubt we are navigating a very confusing worlds with things happening we never anticipated and with behaviors that are inconceivable 

When we don’t understand whats happening around us, how can we possibly consider the solution that we need

When we lack clarity we are confused. When we are confused we are paralyzed and when we are paralyzed we are ineffective - whether it be spiritually or physically.