Walk in the Woods
Vol II: #22 Day One, Done
After the photo, I followed the arrows down the stairs to the floor of the Civic, where another group of cheery faces greeted me. This is where I faced my biggest challenge- meeting new people in an atmosphere of hype. A few meaningful handshakes later, I left. Day one, done.
I have no idea what the next eight months hold at ministry school, but I choose to take it one single day at a time.
I pulled into the Civic Center parking lot just after nine AM- intentionally late. I knew most students would arrive early while being late would offer some cover. As I climbed out of my car, I noticed a long queue of excited students still waiting to go inside for registration. I took a few steps toward the back of the line then decided to go for coffee. The idea of idly chatting with the person in front of me was not appealing, and another cup of coffee was.
After I paid for my cup, I tucked into the back corner of the shop, texted a few friends, and checked Twitter- anything to delay the purpose of the day. Eventually, I ended up back where I started, back at the Civic, waiting to go inside.
Once inside, I encountered a series of smiling and overly polite people. Each one thanked me for being there, which felt over the top. The one bright spot was when I made the photographer laugh. She looked tired and disconnected when I sat on the stool for my photo. Upon her request to “smile,” I gave her the goofiest grin possible- toothy and wide. She thanked me before I moved on.
After the photo, I followed the arrows down the stairs to the floor of the Civic, where another group of cheery faces greeted me. This is where I faced my biggest challenge- meeting new people in an atmosphere of hype. A few meaningful handshakes later, I left. Day one, done.
I have no idea what the next eight months hold at ministry school, but I choose to take it one single day at a time.
Journal: #297 Living One Day At A Time
Something about how Cindy (the Client) talked about little steps and big success touched me. It was as though a door clicked open in the space between my head and my heart. In that instant, my head let go of trying to predict the future. And my heart let go of the need for feedback. (My head and heart are often at odds, but not on this.) The truth is the biggest buildings are constructed one piece, one beam, one brick at a time. We see the finished work but rarely the amount of planning, organization, and resources required to build it. It’s the same with each of us. Whatever is good and true requires time and dedication. Contrary to popular Christian myth, welcome change is rarely sudden or immediate.
I believe I have a subtle yet powerful force at work in my thought life. It’s a very human condition; therefore, I harbor no guilt. Embarrassed is the best word to describe how I feel. I’m embarrassed it took me this long to see it for what it is. I, like most people, try to control my life. I know. What a shocking revelation! Except it isn’t a revelation. I’ve written about “letting go” and “keeping it simple with God.” In fact, every single day of my life, I say, “Lord, your will be done in my life.” Comically, I spend the remainder of my day trying to avoid mistakes and “the wrong path.”
Today, on a business call, my client said something old in a slightly new way. She is starting a podcast and wants to name it Small Steps, Big Success. I think it’s a catchy name for an ancient axiom: slow but steady wins the race. Of all the lessons of the last year, this is one of the top three. (Along with Be Honest and Keep it Simple.) Of all my goals of the last year, writing every day taught me the most. I 100% believe anyone can change any aspect of their life if they show up every day. People who lose weight don’t have perfect diets or work out ten times/day. (They did learn to get back up when thrown from the horse. They learned how to keep a bad food week from turning into a bad food month.)
Something about how Cindy (the Client) talked about little steps and big success touched me. It was as though a door clicked open in the space between my head and my heart. In that instant, my head let go of trying to predict the future. And my heart let go of the need for feedback. (My head and heart are often at odds, but not on this.) The truth is the biggest buildings are constructed one piece, one beam, one brick at a time. We see the finished work but rarely the amount of planning, organization, and resources required to build it. It’s the same with each of us. Whatever is good and true requires time and dedication. Contrary to popular Christian myth, welcome change is rarely sudden or immediate.
So, I’m going to focus on each day. Doing the little things. That’s it. Simple.