You know what I need someone to tell me on pretty much a daily basis?
I suppose a lot of things. Like thanks for breakfast, and thanks for lunch and thanks for dinner, Mom.
But also? I’ve been participating in a writer’s Mastermind group this year, and we were encouraged to choose a “mantra” for ourselves.
Mine might sound familiar if you’ve been reading words around here for a while:
Stay in Your Lane. Swim Your Own Race.
And on these days where it feels like the world has gone plum mad?
I just need someone to tell me those words, again, once more, please. Until I listen.
This week I wonder if you’re facing some of the same struggles.
Because your neighbor is _________ and you are not.
Or because you are _________ and your neighbor is not.
Maybe it’s a back to work decision. Maybe it’s a back-to-school decision.
Maybe it’s a social distancing question or a political question or a parenting question.
Being a human and living in community seems like an invitation to begin to look in one direction, and then another, and to start comparing before you’ve even gotten out of bed.
A few years ago, faithfulness was a word I focused on for a year. And these important whispers began to take root in my soul:
- Your faithfulness and my faithfulness are going to look different. But that does not mean we are not both being faithful.
- A life lived faithfully will perhaps never look the same twice.
- Faithfulness and perfection are not the same thing. Definitely let that sink in.
Like the proverb highlighted above says, God is willing to instruct you, yes, even you, on what faithfulness looks like.
Make space for some quiet so that He can instruct you on how you can be faithful in this season.
Your vote, your school choices, your answer to social distancing questions – maybe they will look different from someone else’s. Remember those words in Romans 14:4? To their own master, servants stand or fall.
Before you let comparison steal your joy, or judgement sour your heart, maybe let these words sink in for you, too, this week:
Stay in your lane. Swim Your Own Race.
Let’s aim for faithful together this week.
P.S. In case you have a few extra minutes and want a little more encouragement about faithfulness today, I’d love to remind you to Let Jesus Tell You Who You Are Before the World Does
Last week I shared that following me on Instagram, liking/sharing on Facebook, subscribing to my emails and sharing them with friends are ways of supporting me as a writer who is WEEKS away from pitching a book proposal.
So many of you friends blew me away by sharing, liking, following and encouraging me again and again. Thank you so much. Publishers look at numbers and care about engaged audiences, so these small actions truly are a gift to me! I continue to pray these words will find you at the right moment and bless your heart. xoxo, Caroline
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