A few Sundays ago after church, I was on my way home when I felt the urge to be adventurous. It was a sunny, beautiful summer day, and I had no place in particular to be. So with my camera and journal in tow, I set off to discover something.
I drove down the 210 fwy and decided to exit. I knew where I wanted to go: Art Center. I’d never been there before and heard about the campus being cool, so I made my way down Linda Vista, winding down roads lined with houses one could only dream of living in while driving beneath the cover of trees which had lined these streets for many, many years.
Despite the blazing heat still present on this September day, I was pleasantly surprised to see that autumn was slowly creeping its way in. As I walked around the campus, took pictures of various things that caught my eye, and later sat to reflect and journal, I was struck by how close I was to missing this incredibly rich moment.
Just an hour or so earlier, I got a unexpected text invite from a friend to go to a baseball game that afternoon. Definitely would have been good fun with quality people, and I jumped at the chance, but it bothered me just how quick I was to run from solitude. The invite fell through, thankfully. I say “thankfully” not because I don’t love my friends, and certainly not because I don’t enjoy Dodger games, but because I wonder how much of life do I miss because I expect it to come in a certain package or a certain way?
Too often I don’t leave space in my life for the surprises and margin for quiet, for days without plans, for being present to each moment. Sometimes, it’s too uncomfortable to just rest in the moment and let God take care of the details that lie in the realm of the unknown. Sometimes, in anticipation of what is to come, I fail to see what is right in front of me – the amazing family, friends, provision, and opportunities already present in my life – becoming an ungrateful recipient of God’s consistent and abundant blessing.
As a result of this disquiet I allow in my heart, I’m afraid I forfeit God’s gift of the extraordinary in the midst of the dailiness of life. I mean, how many times do I settle for good enough from the expected, or try to attain it based on what I can control, believing that is all life has to offer? This way of thinking cuts off my ability to just remain available to God and the abundance He wants to give – His heart is so good!
It’s really so simple when you think about it. So now to live this out…
Sheree Black 