Pardon my absence here; I have been in a long, needed "turtle season." (Rest, renewing, regrouping)
For some, you may have seen my periodic engagements through Facebook in recent months. I have enjoyed those, and from many of you, I see you have enjoyed them, too!
Life. What's there to say?
My two eldest children continue to progress through college, and my youngest began high school. All kiddos are through braces and through Driver's Ed.
Funny how mothers measure life through their children's milestones, but hey, it works.
I was conversing with dear daughter the other day, and it hit me just how much my life is in MAJOR transition. Motherhood - though still very important to this mama's heart - is no longer a central dynamic of mine. I now have two ADULT children for cryin' out loud! That demands I shift bearings!
Not only have my bearings shifted, but theirs has too. I recall a very engaging conversation with them in the recent months. I was instructing them how to "adult" their relationships with one another. For many years, my "virtual shirt" was black and white striped (ie: referee/infraction determiner/penalty assessor). In the "now moments" we find our adult-selves navigating, I still remain thankfully revered and routinely consulted for my assessments on life's decisions, but I am not deluded into thinking I control anyone or their decisions.
This has upped the ante on their maturity, but I would be amiss as their parent if I did not recognize the need for this "ribbon cutting" -- (others have referred to it as "apron string cutting"). I prefer "ribbon cutting". It is after all a significant rite of passage into the world of adult-ing and deserving of its spotlight, in my book.
Not only does such "ribbon cutting" celebration mark the shift, but it declares to them that I believe them capable of becoming my peer. That is HUGE in an adult child's life. They don't need to think I believe in them..... they need to unequivocally know I believe in them.
So, that shift has occurred.... and in so doing, my load is now 2/3 lighter in the mama department. During said season, I have rejoined the work force almost at full-throttle, holding the position of Director of Human Resources for a company.
The position came to me; I did not seek it out. I can honestly say I have used two plus decades of personal growth "on the job". You know all the sayings about God using everything in life for a purpose? Well, I am SO thankful He took twenty plus years and "stocked my tool belt" for such a time and such a position as this.
I love what I do.... I love the team of people I work with.... I love its challenges....and its rewards.
It's amusing to me now....typing the words "I love its challenges" because it reminds me of my boss when she looked at me and said, "Where I see a road block, you see a challenge to overcome!"
I love that God RE-wired me to be what I call a realistic optimist! It's not that I don't see things as they are. I just choose to see past present hurdles to what a challenging situation can shift, in a positive way, to be through determined,Godly, personal influence and deliberate course of action.
Now, having said that and then circling back around to my earlier statement of not controlling anyone, there are certainly going to be unfortunate circumstances beyond my ability to bring about a different (more desirable) outcome. Take for example, Sally goes flying down the highway, and I - as her passenger - state, "You know, you might want to slow it down a tad," but she chooses to ignore my suggestion and moments later experiences the blue-light "reward" she has coming to her. Yeah, all I can do at that point is watch her receive her (unfortunate) reward.
I have experienced life situations where not only was I a front-row witness to the pending "reward" - but a partaker. Shoot - live into adulthood, and you'll be saying, "You know that's right!" about your own "front-row witness and partaking".
You know the situations I am talking about. For example, you have a relationship that for whatever reason goes "south" -- literally and figuratively. The other person pushes you off a cliff either with a warning or no warning, and the next thing you know, they are hollering at you from above as you lay in a thousand pieces down below, "Come on, get up... I didn't mean to....that's not what I really meant to have happened."
Now, you, as if you have a choice.... but let's say you do, magically super-glue yourself back together. Do you rejoin them on the precipice again? Risk being tossed off again? How about again and again and again? What point defines insanity?
I have discovered at my stage in life the canyon floor is not the terrifying place I once assumed it to be from places of let's say - altitude. Granted - and please hear me on this - the canyon floor should not be anyone's deliberate place of destination. But if one should find themselves there, let me assure you there is life after you meet with the canyon floor.
How is it that I can make such a declaration? Because life's experiences in which I found myself at the canyon floor, when coupled to my God-created, realistic-optimist core, birthed an understanding that I can soar UP from the canyon floor to heights way above the precise from which I was thrown.
I am not subject to dwell on the canyon floor. I am not subject to dwell on the dangerous precipice from which I fell, nor am I subject to those who choose to dwell on such precipices.
No, I am subject to One, and only One. And He says, "I have made you whole! Soar!"
Only when one has experienced the heights extending beyond the clouds TO the depths extending to the darkest canyon floor can one know just how we were created to THRIVE irregardless of life's circumstances.
There are always going to be those who choose to live foolishly on the precipices of life. There is much to be said for not setting up a tent with them, but it is a pretty fair understanding that at some point in your life, someone on a precipice that you come across during your life's journey will intentionally or unintentionally send you sailing off their chosen precipice. I would say everyone will experience at least one great fall to the canyon floor. What you do in the aftermath -- after you get over the initial "having the wind knocked out of you" and the shock of your shattered condition -- will either demonstrate your understanding of who God is in your life or your lack of understanding who God is in your life.
Let me declare that NO child of God is destined to live in pieces on the canyon floor!
Let Him take all those pieces, putting them together with "His superglue" .....and grant you His wings with both the encouragement and the command to "Soar!"
Life is a string of challenges .....challenges to overcome..... BOTH its heights AND its depths.
It's time, dear one, to leave the canyon floor and SOAR!
Join me....Won't you?!
Perhaps a different way to hear this song after reading?
Consider....
Do you hear Him calling you to rise in the now?
Don't make the canyon floor home!
You were made for more!
Absolutely wonderful! (((HUG)))
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