Come Alive…

“Don’t ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it!  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

After a very long night and a lot of prayer, my mom sent me a text message with this quote in it.  It’s amazing the way my mom says (or texts) exactly what I need to hear (or read) at exactly the moment I need it.  But that’s another conversation entirely.

I have found myself trapped by feelings of guilt and obligation too often in my life.  While I believe strongly that God calls us to His mighty will in a way that might stretch or scare us, we are not to walk through life bound by our circumstances.  Dig deep into your soul and find your passion…. and then do it!  Our society is overwhelmed by all the should’s and should not’s culture imposes on us.  People have timelines for their marriages, education, families, careers, and relationships.  I experienced the harsh reality of having that timeline dissolve very quickly and, quite frankly, it rocked my little world.  But why?  I can tell you, it had way more to do with everyone else’s thoughts about me than how it personally affected me.

How sad is that?

Don’t be run by the expectations of others.  Don’t weep when your life takes a dramatic turn for the disorganized or unstructured.  There is beauty in all of that.  Mostly, though, I think it can breed life, because many times we trap ourselves into life circumstances that simply make sense.  But no more logic, people, we need life!