Let's Get REAL Together

The Way

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

Have you heard the expression “as a crow flies?” “Charlie lives about a mile north of here, as a crow flies.” It’s used to gauge the shortest distance between two points; however, this idiom is usually followed up with: “but it takes me 20 minutes to get there.”

Let’s face it, we aren’t birds and we certainly cannot fly! In this picture, you can see the narrow part where there the two sections of road are closest together, though separated by the hill and trees. One might think, why didn’t the crew laying the road simply cut through there instead of going the “long way around?” Could be a multitude of reasons: cost, conditions, long term stability, or even something as simple as protecting nature. While it would be faster “as a crow flies,” to cross at this narrowed section, that is not the way it’s designed, intentionally.

This is sometimes how God works as well. We will never know “why” life takes the turns it does nor do we really know what’s around the corner. But for those who trust Him, and do not get caught up in the “why,” the way He provides is far more enjoyable and scenic.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8 NIV).

God may need you to slow down and enjoy His beautiful surroundings, as He takes you up a steep climb, which you hardly notice because you are in awe of His majesty. God may simply want more time with you, preparing you, before you face the sheered cliff, hidden by the trees, coming up ahead. God may be keeping an unforeseen danger away from you, carefully masked by His beauty. My friend, God absolutely has His reasons for the road you are on.

So in my REA/L moment with you this morning, consider this: on your journey, relinquish control of the way you THINK things should go or look. If He has placed something in your heart, by all means work at it, but do not get stubbornly caught up in the way your God’venture “should look” or “should happen.” The way is not your concern, the destination or goal He’s given you is. If you allow the way to be His way, He will never lead you astray.

Strong Feels Good

June 1, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

>Giving instead of receiving

>Worth instead of a measure

>Stretching instead of breaking

>Work instead of entitlement

>Talking instead of stewing

>Agreement instead of argument

>Pausing instead of continuing

What do these have in common? Strength. This does not necessarily mean the “instead of” is the polar opposite and therefore weakness. But that is exactly how our minds work, doesn’t it? According to a cursory Google search, thinking in opposites can make you a genius, help with anxiety, or bring awareness to our often fickle thoughts. Sometimes it’s helpful, other times it’s not (how’s that for an opposition argument?). Today, I want to focus on the feeling strength evokes.

Strong feels good.

Strong portfolio, good. Mentally strong, good. Strong coffee, good. Unless of course you do not feel the same way I do about coffee.

Strong /strôNG/ (adjective) defined:

1. having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.
2. able to withstand great force or pressure.
3. very intense.
4. used after a number to indicate the size of a group.

Strong can not only be defined in many ways, it also looks different for each of us. And how things look, rather how we perceive things, has a direct correlation with how we feel about them. Bottom line, strong may look AND feel different for each of us because, simply put, WE are different. Which brings me back to the opposite mentality…

There’s so much of our world that’s polarized. And we all have strong opinions. Feelings, if you will. That doesn’t make one side right and the other wrong. I think that’s precisely where we get hung up. Just because we feel a certain way does not make it right. It also doesn’t make it wrong. It simply makes it a feeling.

Here’s my DREAM (Dramatically Radical Edifying Action in Motion): let’s spend our time building ourselves and others up, AT THE SAME TIME! While I realize this may not always be possible concurrently, it can definitely happen individually. With practice in one, the other will also vicariously benefit. That, my friends, doesn’t just feel good…in my humble opinion, it IS good. It makes us strong. And strong feels good.

Sweet Release

May 31, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

Today I am sad…

Sad because of all the hate.

Sad because of all the debate.

Sad because of the polarization.

Sad because of all the incessant sanitization.

Sad because I created an account joining the Zoom nation.

Sad because my kids can’t just be kids, hanging out with friends without unnecessary reservation.

Sad because as I type this on the laptop, my eyes keep moving back to my phone propped up nearby with live video feed of a practice I’m not able to attend, fearing I might miss something that I can’t possibly or even remotely control.

*SAD*

All this sadness has given me a headache, quite literally. My limbs feel heavy, as if moving through mud. There is so much stress and tension in my body that I have a sick feeling in the back of my throat. I am desperately fighting this overwhelming sadness because I know full well that it’s not healthy. And yet, like the mysterious invisible hair that makes our skin crawl with a tickling irritation, I cannot seem to put my fingers on it and simply remove this feeling.

Then this “memory” pops up on my personal social media page.

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to Him.”
1 Peter 5:7

Not some of your worries. Not just the the big or little ones. Not the ones you think He can handle. *ALL OF YOUR WORRIES*

Funny God. You have the ability to show up anywhere! Even in a Facebook memory. It’s times like these where the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” becomes very present and applicable. You’d think that I’d already learned this a hundred times over: God is in control. I am not. Worrying about all that I cannot control does not gain me anything.

I confess, today was the first time in a while that I opened my Bible app upon waking (a habit I used to have). After making my way through today’s Bible story about witnessing, I moved onto my neglected devotional plan (Reset Your Mind, Overhauling Toxic Thoughts) and clicked “catch me up.” The title? “Capture Your Thoughts,” followed by a quote.

“Taking thoughts captive means controlling them instead of letting them control you.”
Priscilla Shirer

I feel somewhat empowered and a slightly relieved that I do have control over something: my thoughts. Somewhere, in my desperation to control the chaos that has engulfed our world, I handed what I could control over to fear, sadness, and helplessness. Silly me…

With my focus now redirected solely on writing this (as the Zoom feed has ended), I take a deep breath. Intentional. Cleansing. Recentering. What do I truly want filling my thoughts?

If it is heavy, I let it go. If it is hurtful, I let it go. If it isn’t of Him, I let it go. I cannot be His witness if I am wrapped in worry and warped thoughts. These do not point others towards Him. Period.

I am DONE feeding the worry worm. I am replacing this fruitless activity by cultivating healthier habits. Start my day with HIM. Align my thoughts with HIM. Cast my worries unto HIM.

*Sigh* Ahhh, sweet release…and just like that, I am in a better place.

L-O-V-E-D

May 9, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogether3 Comments

Another In The Fire

Take Heart

YOUR NAME IS POWER

God Is Love

Graves into Gardens

JOY INVINCIBLE

Keep Me in the Moment

No One Ever Cared for Me like Jesus

Above was the “random” playlist during my worship time this morning while I ran 2.23 miles. There are many emotions as I type this, but I will start with my initial purpose: to run for a cause. Nowadays, there is so much focus on race, injustice, fear, conspiracy, and the overwhelming desire to be HEARD! There seems to be only two camps: right and wrong. The desire to practically SCREAM our opinions at each other must be further fueled by the restrictions that have been imposed upon us during this pandemic. That’s the only thing I can come up with…because the insatiable need to WIN, to be RIGHT, to be HEARD has apparently completely overridden our “directive” for kindness or decency.

So, I embarked on my run with purpose. I was running for a cause. I was running for freedom. I was running for someone who’s life was needlessly taken and no longer had the opportunity to walk (let alone run) on this Earth. I was engulfed in gratitude with each stride, reflecting on where I was one year ago and what a blessing it was running on my own two feet. Coupled with the fact that I haven’t run in awhile, truthfully, I was not sure my legs or lungs would make it through running the entire 2.23 miles, but I went about it with purpose, and my God sustained me!

As I ran, I tried to imagine what it would be like to survive in a state where I constantly looked over my shoulder. Where the color of my skin caused others to treat me differently. Where fear (in myself and others) created such visceral hatred. I simply couldn’t…couldn’t imagine it. And as the worship songs continued to play in my ears, I had a revelation.

Our society is so ridiculously focused on the concept of WINNING and being RIGHT that we have become oblivious to the “WIN” noose that has been slipped over our necks in the process. “WIN,” in this instance, stands for Wrestling In Negativity. We’ve been blinded with such self-centeredness and self justification that we cannot possibly process anything that isn’t on our “side.” Therefore, our “win” our “rightness” becomes absolutely vital because if it doesn’t look like us, doesn’t act like us, doesn’t believe like us…then it simply must not be good for us! Anything “different” is seen as a negative and a threat.

For whatever reason I think in acronyms and correlations…that’s simply how my brain works. The “WIN” acronym made my mind move onto this next car train. In my head, I counted out these letters in the following words: B-L-A-C-K, five. W-H-I-T-E, five. Five on one hand and five on the other. While neither word shares any of the same consonants or vowels, they are both equal in the number of letters. Why can’t we, as a society, accept that we are ALL different–and it has NOTHING to do with the color of our skin?

“I found out everybody’s different – the same kind of different as me. We’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us. The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or something in between, this earth ain’t no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless – just workin our way toward home”
― Denver Moore, Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together

Everybody is different. The same kind of different as me. Imagine the wonderful possibilities this simple shift in thinking would create and how it would revolutionize our world? I am different. YOU are different. WE are different, but we are the SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT.

I round the corner, exhausted. My heart yearns for people to stop the ravenous need to win. My legs are tired. Sweat rolls into my eyes and tears threaten to break free. I don’t think I can keep running…then I see a man at the end of the street. He’s smiling and waving. Once I pause my music, I hear “Great job! I saw you running ’round the corner. Keep it up! You’ve got this…”

I’ve never seen this man before in my life. He doesn’t know me. And certainly, there’s no way he knew I was on the verge of giving up.

“Thank you,” I manage to say, as I rounded the next corner on the way towards home. I am revitalized. I am intent on completing. I look down at my tracker, only .5 miles left…what shocked me even more than this stranger’s impeccable timing for a pick-me-up was the lyrics to the next song.

“I’ve been thinking ’bout time and where does it go
How can I stop my life from passing me by, I don’t know
I’ve been thinking ’bout family and how it’s going so fast
Will I wake up one morning just wishing that I could go back?
I’ve been thinking ’bout lately, maybe
I can make a change and let you change me
So, with all of my heart this is my prayer
Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment
Help me live with my eyes wide open
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me”
-Jeremy Camp, “Keep Me in the Moment”

The Hoover Dam couldn’t have held back the tears (sweat or no sweat). My God, thank you! Thank you for keeping me in the moment. Thank you for never giving up on me, even when I want to give up. Help me, Lord, to live with my eyes wide open. Abba, you are such a good father, and I don’t wanna miss ANYTHING you have for me. I will push through. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

I pass my house because the tracker says I have not quite reached my goal of 2.23 miles, my initial purpose. The last song on my trek? Steffany Gretzinger’s “No One Ever Cared for Me like Jesus.” KID. YOU. NOT.

This morning’s run was an experience like none other. I had set out with one purpose: I was running for a cause. God had another purpose.

I cannot fathom what Ahmaud Arbery’s family is going through, especially today, but I pray they feel loved. Loved by countless people running across the globe today, whom they will probably never see, in memory of their son. Loved by God in such a palpable way that transcends any pain. Loved by a man, they never met, who also died…so they could one day be reunited with their son in a perfect world.

Thank you, Lord, for revealing yourself to me today. I am in awe of your greatness! Yahweh, please place your hand on our world. We are a broken people. Help us move into your fold, so we might stop seeing ourselves as different at all…only loved. In your son’s most holy and precious name I pray, Amen.

Beauty in the Mess

April 13, 2020May 9, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

The great myth: we are in control of our lives.

I think, especially on whatever number quarantine day we are in today, the recent worldwide events have proven otherwise. We are arrogant in our thinking, naive in our believe system, and just plain stubborn to our core. Yesterday was a prime example…

Because I knew things were beyond control outside of our four walls, I cooked up grandiose plans of how this Easter would look inside our home. We would wake up early, bright eyed and bushy tailed, to greet our children at the bottom of the stairs, so we could meet the morning head on with excitement as we joined together in our “traditional” Easter basket opening celebration. Reality? My husband and I woke up late, as in after 10am late, because we had stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, only to be suddenly awakened by the blaring of the truck alarm in our driveway at 4:30am. Thankfully, nothing was broken, nor appeared to be taken, but the event kept our hearts pumping and brains spinning, making the subsequent minutes following flow like molasses on a cold day. Regaining sweet slumber was as hard to find as toilet paper! About 10:30am, once the coffee finally began to do its magic and both kids came outside (past the baskets waiting in full view) to get us, we strolled back into our designated spots on the couch and very anti-climatically “opened” our Easter baskets.

Having taken note of the day’s first “failed” moment, I thought, it’s ok…we can still salvage this! We’ll go on to collectively (and cheerfully) make cookies, which we would never have time for on a “normal” Easter Sunday, dress up, take pictures, set the dinning room table with our china, and eat while video chatting with family. Yeah, I know—grandiose, social media worthy, wishful thinking.

Breakfast was a bit haphazard, because it was so late, but we made a plan for the rest of the day. I got busy preparing the cookie dough so it had time to set up in the fridge. For whatever reason, I decided buffalo chicken wings would be on the lunch menu today. I do them in the air fryer (ie “healthy” right?) and they are incredibly labor intensive. During the in between wing rotations, we roll out the dough and cut out our shapes. Timers are going off every few minutes (was that one for the cookies or wings?), and things were much more chaotic than I’d envisioned. Cookies cooling and wings ready, we decide to eat lunch upstairs while watching Pitch Perfect 2 (because that’s totally what you think of for Easter, right?). We munched with messy buffalo sauce-covered fingers and laughed at the inappropriateness of the movie.

Upon re-entry of the world from “the man cave,” we realized it was 5pm. Cookies still needed decorating and delivering (in social distancing appropriate fashion), dinner required attention (as in starting), clothes changed from our shorts and t-shirts, pictures taken, china placed, and family video meeting organized. We set to work on our designated tasks, charging ahead as “planned.”

About 7pm, when dinner was “supposed” to be served in actual serving dishes, upon our dinning room table so we might enjoy it on our fine china, I had another reality check. I was just now back from our stealth cookie delivery operation. Dinner was at least thirty minutes out. The puzzle and other paraphernalia still commandeered our dining room table. The dishwasher was finally done running for what seemed like the 80 billionth time this month. And, we were still clad in our casual clothes.

I looked at my family and decided this is was not only good enough but beautiful in its disarray. We microwaved slices of ham in the microwave because, despite spending a couple hours in the oven, it was still cold in the center. We served from the stovetop, ate at the dinner table on “fine” disposable plasticware, in our shorts and t-shirts. We laughed as we talked about the movie we’d watched, incorporated song title references into our conversation (a silly game we play), and pushed the green beans to the side of our plates because they flat did not taste right.

After eating our respective dinners, we “Zoomed” with some family, which was an absolutely hilarious spectacle. Cousins in their bedrooms on laptops, some with magical backgrounds, others with screen savers not wanting to be seen. Louder than normal voices, repeating what we’d just said, heard from the room next door (as to limit the feedback) so the people outside of our four walls on the other side of the screen could hear us. Laughter at the odd camera angle of one participant. Unexpected wonderful chaos.

It wasn’t what I’d imagined.

It certainly wasn’t what I’d planned.

But in the middle of the mess, it was an absolutely perfect day. Against all odds, we managed to scrap the superfluous stuff and something beautiful emerged: a non-picture perfect day of events which will forever be captured in my mind. And most importantly, a gentle reminder dispelling the myth that we are in total control of the events within our lives. Truth be told, we never were…and I am one day closer to actually accepting that reality. I pray that whatever your Easter looked like, it was filled with incredible joy that our risen Savior planned for us oh so many years ago.

Pruning

April 9, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

My husband loves his knockout roses. We have several of them in our backyard. It is especially hard for him when I tell him it’s pruning time. During early Spring, when they just start blooming, is the best time to give them a hard pruning—cutting the roses back by 1/3 to 1/2 their size. To see the sudden wild and abundant blooms significantly reduced to a fraction of their size, is physically painful for my husband to endure. It’s like this for all of us…just on a different scale.

No one likes pruning. It hurts. It removes portions we think are beautiful and leaves a barren form in its place. It takes time to regroup, drawing strength from deep within its roots, before exploding again in an even more breathtaking explosion of splendor.

We are much like these roses.

Thorny, in the form of words or actions, “protecting” us.

Outstretched branches, or arms, “defending” our central core.

Blooms, which may seem perfectly lovely, only to be eclipsed by an infinitely more lavish display of magnificent blossoms than previously witnessed…

All of which require pruning.

“He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
John 15:2 NLT

Right now, my friends, we are being pruned.

It seems harsh.

We did not ask for it.

And yet, here we are today…

Waiting, in our reduced state, to bloom again, even more lavishly and magnificently than previously witnessed.

It will take time. But Scripture tells us, in order to produce more, we must be pruned. And yes, it absolutely hurts to have parts of our lives suddenly removed. But as we draw strength from our roots, renewing our covenant with our Creator, we unequivocally will bloom again…in a magnificent splendor, that not only pleases Him, but prayerfully, points others TO Him.

Today is Maunday Thursday. The day in which Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. The day of the Last Supper. The day where we are reminded to love and serve others. The day before Jesus was crucified for the sins we had not yet committed and assented into Heaven.

Today especially, let’s be mindful of this scripture:

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

We serve a God of hope.

A loving God, who keeps His promises.

A compassionate God, who sent His son—saw Him endure temptation, brutal humiliation, ultimately crucification—all to save us from sinful ourselves so we could live an eternal life with Him in His heavenly realms.

Please don’t miss hear me. I do NOT COVID 19 is FROM God, rather, I DO believe this:

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”
Romans 8:26-28 MSG

God makes beautiful things, out of seemingly nothing. He WILL cultivate good from this strife. It’s ok if we feel frustrated, hurt, or tired during our pruning—He will carry us through, onto something good.

I’m New

April 8, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogether2 Comments

When I worked in direct sales, one of the things I would tell my team is the grace given when someone heard the words “I’m new.” It was as if suddenly there was a totally different playing field. A fresh start, if you will. An Etch-A-Sketch moment when everything up to that point gets erased. “I’m new” says a lot to the other person.

You probably don’t have the answers.
You probably haven’t had all the experience.
You probably won’t know the perfect solution.
You are simply “new,” and therefore, afforded a magical pass enabling you to receive heaps of patience, maybe even the tilted head version of “Bless your heart,” with a big ‘ol smile and all the Southern charm that accompanies it.

Guess what…right now, we are ALL “new.”

None of us have experienced COVID 19 before. None of us have a clue when we will receive the “all clear.” None of us know what the fallout will be after it’s ok to return to our “normal lives.” Will anything ever really feel “normal” again? Who knows?! I sure don’t…

But I do know this: one of the BEST parts of the “I’m new” phrase is there isn’t a set timeframe for when you have to relinquish it. You can be “new” for as long as you want, or at least, as long as you feel comfortable saying the phrase. Honestly, there are “new” things that pop up daily we’ve not yet encountered, so it is completely applicable, dare I say accurate, to say we are all “new.” EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Most of us just don’t want to admit or say it in the out loud.

So in my REAL moment with you today, I give you the phrase “Hello, I’m new.” Wear this badge proudly. You are in good company, because my friend, we are experiencing this newness together. Let’s afford each other an extra portion of grace. Let’s be kind to one another. Let’s walk through this, at our safe social distance, with a fresh perspective, buckets full of patience, and an eagerness to learn how we can be both human AND kind in this uncertain time.

Applause

April 8, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

I thoroughly enjoy watching movies—all kinds (though horror and romance stories are my least favorite). Not all of what I watch would be what you might call “appropriate.” Case in point, one of the random Netflix movies I’ve recently watched: Fighting with my Family. Filled with questionable language, characters, and morals, there was an incredible gem:

“Just because millions of people aren’t cheering when you do it, doesn’t mean it’s not important.”
~Paige, from the movie Fighting with my Family

We can be submerged in the most questionable or uncertain circumstances and still find precious gold. The grocery store stockers tirelessly working behind the scenes. Our healthcare providers fearlessly serving the sick. The teachers suddenly thrown into learning an entirely foreign method. These unsung heroes absolutely deserve applause…but that’s not why they do it.

You may be asking yourselft, “I’m not any of these professions, what I can I do?” Whether we admit it or not, we all seek affirmation. And when we don’t receive the “bravo” or thunderous claps, we believe what we are doing is unimportant, useless, undistinguished. It’s that feeling of helplessness that often leads to hopelessness, trapping us on the ride that spirals downward into depression. But, my friend, it is in these very moments of ambiguity that you can thrive…you simply make the conscious decision to do something.

Today is your time. It’s mine too. Right here, right now. In the midstream of this…when we are called to be each other’s champions, from our safe social distance. If you are completely quarantined, you can pray. Prayer is powerful. If you are a student, you can call a friend or family member. We all crave connection. If you are able to get outside, you can wait for your walking neighbor to pass by, smile and wave. This elementary interaction might be the only one they have that day. If you are healthy, you can offer to pick up groceries for a friend. The list of what you can safely do is endless, you just need to choose one and do it.

While you may not see these seemingly small acts as significant, the recipient will. You may not hear any applause, but it’s present. You may not see the accolades, but they are thunderous. You may not feel important, but you are mistaken.

Humanity is currently on stage, and everyone is watching. Now, more than ever, you my friend, have a purpose that only YOU can fulfill. How can I be so unequivocally certain? Scripture…

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21

God created each of us not only ON purpose but FOR a purpose.

I am not immune to His plans, neither are you. That internal conflict we feel, the one that keeps us up at night. The one that resonates like an incessant earwig. The one that drums in our minds. That one. The one we cannot seem to escape. That, my friend, is His plan and your purpose. Waiting, for our compliance to complete…

Question is, are you only here for the applause or are you prepared to fulfill your purpose? The choice is yours, and it has eternal consequences. What’s more important what that?

Right now. This very moment. THIS is the point just before the crescendo when everyone expectantly holds their breath in anticipation, not knowing what comes next. This is the precise moment when we, individually, are standing in the spotlight, whether it’s main stage, off broadway, or center stage on our living room floors. We were purposefully created to shine…because light dispels darkness, my friend.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
John 8:12 NIV

The stage is set.

The world is watching.

Now is the time for us step up.

Today we must rise and fulfill our purpose.

The role we have unsuccessfully searched for our entire lives. The one that completes the puzzle. The one that helps others in ways we will never know. Isn’t that worth far more than applause?

SOS

March 30, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

March 30, 2020

SOS/ˌesōˈes/noun

an international code signal of extreme distress, used especially by ships at sea.
an urgent appeal for help.

Did you know these three letters don’t actually stand for anything (according to a Mental Floss article)? But if you see and/or hear “SOS,” you immediately know someone is need of dire assistance. It’s one of those little nuggets that somehow has gotten plugged into our brains, and no one is really certain of the actual origin, it just “is what it is.”

In a time when social distancing is the “norm” (wow, that feels so surreal to type), we are missing out on all kinds of cues. On my jog this morning, I smile and give the neighborly wave to those passing by…sometimes, there’s the quick trite exchange: How are you? Good, you? All good. With all that is going on in the world, it’s hard to show your hand in these brief chats.

I want to hug you, but I can’t.

I want to put my hand on your shoulder and ask, “how are things really going?”

I want to tell you, please pray from my dear friend who suddenly lost his job.

I want you to know I don’t have it all together.

I want us to go back to when things weren’t so uncertain.

I feel like I am in a perpetually looping Rihanna song:

“S.O.S., please someone help me
It’s not healthy for me to feel this
Y.O.U. are making this hard
I can’t take it, see it don’t feel right”

Except this isn’t about being lovesick over a boy, it’s feeling heart wrecked about what this social distancing is doing to my kids who desperately miss their friends (and shockingly going to a physical school). It’s seeing the desperation in my community as news feed after news feed pleads, “where can I find eggs, flour, or paper towels?” It’s hearing the unspoken aching in texting my loved ones outside of our four walls, “love and miss you.”

SOS

I keep feeling an urge to write, but if I’m being real, I’m not sure what I have to offer. I certainly do not have the answers. I don’t want to come across as being a princess on a pedestal, completely oblivious and immune to what’s happening. But what I desperately want to do is help. I am a servant at heart, and serving is one of my love languages. It’s in this vein that I share something that has been bouncing around in my head for a few days now…

It started after seeing a post about “chalk you walk,” offering an encouraging message written or drawn on your driveway. I joked and said, mine would read “spread joy not germs,” followed by #WashYourHands underneath. Over the last week, I kept seeing one of those “Hello my name is” labels in my head that had “I’m new” written in the blank space. This whole experience is “new” for all of us! We ought to be doling out grace by the bucketful right now! Positivity seems to have taken a backseat to fear and divisiveness. It makes me sad, hurts my heart, and makes me want to cry.

SOS. Extreme distress. Urgent appeal for help.

But what if we applied this theory by Wayne Dyer instead?

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

What if, when we felt ourselves in extreme distress, in need of urgent help, we hailed a different SOS?

If we dug deep, and found something POSITIVE in our current situation.

If instead of flaring up, we took a breath and offered GRACE.

If we simply chose to count it all JOY, no matter the circumstances.

This simple shift in how we choose to operate would make a monumental change in not just our lives within our own four walls but our communities and beyond (I sounded like Buzz Lightyear for a moment)! While I know thinking must seem a bit naive, I cannot get it out of my head. Our world has been turned upside down by this virus, and there is little we can do about it (other than social distancing and thoroughly washing our hands). However, we can change the way we look at things and how we allow things to impact us. This is a life hack that will serve us well after COVID-19 is a thing of the past!

Spread positivity. Offer grace. Share joy.

We will get through this, friends.

We will get together socially again.

And I pray, when we do, we will all be better human beings.

Flip of the Switch

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020by 4letsgetrealtogetherLeave a Comment

March 19, 2020

In uncertain times, it’s easy to get swept up in all the mania! It looms above like thick clouds waiting to burst and drown us in its deluge. It swirls around us like annoying summer misquotes ready to bite. It stares intensely like an animal waiting to pounce and devour. Frankly, it could possibly be more harmful than what we are currently facing around the globe…

We can decide to flip the switch and simply turn it off. Yes, we need to stay informed; however, we do NOT need to be enslaved by all this craziness! While you and I do not have the ability to make others comply with regulations, whether it be social distancing or hoarding, we unequivocally DO have the power to control our own actions and mindset.

Today, I decided to flip the switch, and it was WONDERFUL! Instead of fretting about my compromised immune and respiratory systems, I tried something: I went outside and ran. This is a HUGE victory because I physically have not been able to run for 19 months. Today’s run was a slow process, no judgement on my time, but I ran consistently for over a mile! Seven months ago, walking required a cane and I had little stability (let alone stamina). *FLIP*

I also went outside in public with no makeup on (hence the fabulous selfie you see). Why is that such a big deal, you might ask? Well, to frame it for you, I had on a full face of makeup and jewelry for both my kids’ deliveries! I simply do not leave the front door without at least some makeup! Because I knew the likelihood of running into someone (pun totally intended) was slim to none, I felt EMPOWERED to do this “unthinkable” act. *FLIP*

I sat down at the dinning room table with my kids, spread out a project they’ve been wanting to do for ages, and enjoyed simply being together without a time constraint. We listened to music, reminisced, and laughed, without a single ounce of guilt! It was priceless. *FLIP*

So in my REA/L moment with you, my friend, let’s flip the switch! Instead of giving fear control over us and allowing the current mania to overwhelm us, let’s spread some positivity! Let’s try something new and encourage others to do the same. Let’s share a little insight to our real selves!

It’s free. It can be done right from your home. And it’s ripple effect might just help reset our nation, even the world, in how we respond and come together in times of uncertainty…all with a simple flip of the switch!