NewFixYourEyes

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

I’m not a runner – by any stretch of the imagination. The only place you’ll see me running is to the closest Starbucks, and only if by “run” you really mean “drive.”

But I’ve run from community many times. Over and over I’ve hidden deep inside instead of putting myself out there, thinking if I use myself as a shield I won’t get hurt.

But the fastest way to be hurt by community is to keep your heart hidden inside. That’s a game where no one wins.

I make lists and to-do’s and there is typically more on my plate than I should allow. I pick up so many of the wrong things and my eyes drift from my own path to the journeys of others. How are they handling it all? Are they enjoying life or simply surviving? How are they balancing community, being real and vulnerable and open, with all the mundane things of the every day?

Just like that – I’ve moved from my own race to another’s and I’m starting to see it:

When I run from community I typically run to all. the. things. that I can put a check mark next to. But those will never fill me up.

A checked off to-do list will still leave you wanting more at the end of the day.

To me and to you, I am writing a reminder, a letter to keep our eyes on our own path.

May you run after it – whatever “it” is – will full abandon. But may you chase the dandelions instead of the chores left waiting to be done. May you remember each night as your head touches the pillow that the moments that mattered the most were the ones spent in community.

Fix your eyes and clear your mind. Know that so much of each day seems ordinary and uneventful, but not a single day is wasted. Every breath matters as much as the last and the next.

You’ve got a story to tell and you’re already living it. So fix your eyes and finish strong. Run the race. Run YOUR race. Today, may your eyes stare straight heavenward.

 

A big thank you to the many who read last weeks FMF post on “bloom” and left such encouraging words. In Him is no darkness at all and so we know that even when we don’t have the answers, we know the Answer. I have written a follow up of sorts titled Spiritual Warfare and When Everything Is Fine But You Aren’t. I would love to continue our discussion over there!

We gather. Fast and in five minutes, with sisters and lots of delicious. Every Friday the prompt goes up at Lisa-Jo Baker’s and #fmfparty slows down. We write. We breathe out our hearts, sharing the hurts and the joys and splitting hearts and words wide open.