I was driving to Austin, Texas to visit my family for the week,
6 hours into the drive I started to feel this pressure and urgency to get there like I was on a time crunch.
When I looked down at my GPS after hours of driving on the same highway I noticed that my arrival time was midnight,
I got flustered and quickly accelerated from 70 to 85 MPH.
I was almost to Louisiana when I heard the Father say my name,
“Andrea.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you in a rush?” He asked in a gentle voice.
A confused look came across my face when I heard His question,
He didn’t hesitate to get straight to the point.
“I don’t know” I confessed.
All that was waiting for me was my bed,
so was it really that necessary to speed?
Was it really that important to miss the beauty around me?
To miss the journey?
“Daughter, the grass is never greener on the other side.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Find the green grass where you are.”
Yup, there it was.
He started telling me about how often I look to the future and think,
“Life would be great if I could just get to my bed and sleep.”
“Life would be so much better if I were married.”
“Life would be more exciting if I were in Asia now.”
“Life would would be easier if I could conquer financial discipline.”
“Life would be (insert good feeling here) if I had this or that.”
But would it?
Would these things really make life better?
Sure these things would be great to have and to learn,
but everything has a challenge of their own.
If I can’t steward the little that I have and do them well, how can He trust me with much?
Why do we rush the process? There’s so much to learn, do and see.
I remember before I left for the Race I was always looking ahead to the trip and wishing it would start, forgetting that being present was just as good.
Then I got on the Race and remember thinking,
“I would do anything for a chick-fila sandwich, a comfortable bed, and AC”
completely dismissing the fact that I was in some country and experiencing Jesus in a tangible way.
Then I came back to America and got all the things and thought,
“why did I want this so badly?” wishing I was back in Central America, Asia, or Africa.
Magnifying petty things.
Always thinking the grass is greener.
Always wanting what we don’t have.
Then when we get it, it’s just mediocre,
it wasn’t what we fantasized it to be.
And the reality is, it never will be.
“Find the green grass where you are.”
This is such an important lesson to learn.
We were never called to live in the past or the future,
we’ve been called to live in the now.
“don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has troubles of it’s own.”
I think it’s good to be future minded.
I think it’s good to have desires.
I think it’s good to dream.
I think it’s good to be excited about what’s to come.
I think it’s good to set goals for ourselves and occasionally revisit them.
But in saying that, I also think sometimes these good things can turn into something of an idol that can be twisted into something that it may never be.
It’s important to pay attention to the journey along the way and truly appreciate it for all of it’s beauty, challenges, and potential.
It’s important to be present physically, spiritually, and emotionally and press into what’s in front of you.
It’s so important to me, because I just don’t want to miss it.
I don’t want to miss the adventure of today.
I don’t want to miss what the Father is doing TODAY.
I want to be a part of it.
I was so focused on getting to my destination on my long drive to Austin that I almost missed getting to watch the sunset,
taking a little detour to eat dinner at my favorite taco shop,
more importantly I almost missed His voice, His correction, and His teaching.
Instead of rushing to get from one place to the other,
I got stories along the way and I got to enjoy the drive to its fullest.
I still made it to my destination regardless.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this and realize that it’s the enemy’s clever way of keeping you and I from being in the moment.
He takes things that we don’t have in front of us and magnifies them to be an extreme desire, a craving, a distraction.
He does it to keep us from finding genuine enjoyment out of the things that we do have and from seeing the green grass that you’re standing on.
The blessings.
The lessons.
The abundance.
The adventure.
The journey.
I feel like that’s one of the many lessons Jesus is trying to teach me lately.
I’m learning how to find joy where I am in life and to fully invest in every moment.
The things that I hope to happen later… well, I’ll take steps towards it and maybe they’ll happen later.
It’s that simple.
The grass is never greener on the other side,
but there IS green grass right where you are, I guarantee it!
There’s so much to be thankful for and so many blessings that surround you daily.
So friend, I encourage you to find the green grass where you are
TODAY, right now.
Today could be life changing for you,
but you’ll never know if you’re so focused on what’s to come.
A part of my job description is to support raise $12,000 for Adventures in Missions. This money keeps the mission trip prices low so that more participants can go out into the nations to spread the name of Jesus domestically AND internationally.
To learn about Adventures in Missions and see what’s happening around the world, check out their site here!
Will you partner with my ministry by supporting me financially and through prayer?
I need people to commit to support me one time or monthly and pray for me while I continue this job for the next year.
By October 1st I need $2,382 for my job for this fiscal year;
once I make my deadline, I will begin support raising for 2016
(I will need 12,000 dollars by the end of the 2016.)
Whatever you’re willing to give is appreciated!
My job demands a lot of my time; making phone calls, keeping up with my participants, setting up trips, mobilizing, sending emails, and leading trips.
To be honest, fundraising can be daunting and time consuming- I really need you guys! To support me click HERE
I would love to share with you more detail if you’re interested in learning more and/or have any questions: [email protected]
Thank you so much for reading, I truly appreciate you!
