Present

It's funny. Last week, after writing my first post, I had at least 10 other posts in my head. But, I was sure that if I rattled them all out within a 2-day period, that would be it! I would have started this brand new journey and ended it...in less than 72 hours! Haha, lesson learned; "write down the topics as they come to me". What can I say, I'm a novice, right?!?!

I'm not one to make New Year's Resolutions but this year, I made some goals. Personal goals that I even wrote in my journal. You know, it is one thing to think about something but putting it down on paper takes it to another level. Yep, I wrote them down, even numbered them! Impressive, right? Well, before you find yourself thinking I have my act together, let me confess that of the 4 things, I haven't done any of them! But, you may be thinking to yourself, "Jennifer, that's okay, it's only the end of March. You have 9 months left in 2015." The problem is that one of the 4 goals has a monthly "to do" component to it; refer to above statement that says I haven't done any of them!!

So, I have my goals in print on January 1, 2015. But, as He would have it, God had been pressing in on me that there was more. It was lingering, like a cough I couldn't get rid of. Present. Just a word; "present". Creating a list of "to do" goals is never a problem for me. I don't know if it is because I'm a Momma or a woman but I never seem to get all my tasks done. I am a multitasking queen! I'm really good at "busy".....like, really good. Nonetheless, there was no escaping this awaited lesson; present. I knew that no matter how admirable or industrious my goals were, there were endless amounts of treasure found in joining God is this.

To be present...to enter into the lives of those around me, (my tribe, my closest friends, acquaintances and those with whom I will have only one lifetime interaction) in a way that helps me hear their hearts, not just their words; to lean in close and hear the Holy Spirit whisper to me how I can pray for them; to understand better who it is that God has created them to be; to be close enough to be blinded by the glimmer of the treasure they are, under the layers of expectations and assumptions with which I have covered them. Seeing the value in them with fresh eyes and allowing this process to forever change me and how I will interact with God's most valued and loved creation.

I have expectations of this little experiment though:
         1. The first is an attitude change....towards others to where I focus on the person and NOT cover              them with glimmer-diminishing soot because of little annoyances that I would normally tend              to focus on.
         2. Heart change....by loving those around me in a way that looks more like Jesus than the way I
             have loved up to this point
         3. Selflessness....because the fact that I have loved my tribe (all 4 of them) so conditionally just
             nauseates me; there is plenty-o-work to do in this area people, plenty!

In the next couple of weeks, I will share some of what I have already learned on this focused journey. Meanwhile, I better get off here and go practice this "present" thing!