First of all, it has been way too long since I’ve written so I need a second to talk to my blog...
(Hey buddy, it’s been a while. I missed you this last week. Yeah, it was pretty busy between work and church stuff this week, and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to write about. Anyway, I’m back and I promise to not spend this much time away again.)
OK, I’m back. As I was getting ready for this blog post, there were a few things going on. My next post is number 50 and I have a guest blogger (“I was waiting for them to finish” is my excuse if you happen to be judgmental about my lapse in writing). I also celebrated my 29th birthday, which if you are an avid reader of all things jasonwarrenemly, you would know I am now older than my dad. Weird huh?
My first idea was to write about how turning 29 is like turning 49 (which blogpost this is) in the sense that both put you one year away from “milestone” birthdays. I was gonna reflect on how it makes you (by you I mean me) wonder about your (my) “accomplishments.” Reflection can be perfectly fine, but I noticed that I tend to determine the degree of my success by measuring against the expectation (I think) others have of me.
The list may look something like: college degree, world-changing job, two-story house in rural America, wife, 2.3 kids, eco-friendly minivan, a white-picket fence and a spot on the school board a book topping the New York Times bestsellers list... But life isn’t all about stupid checklists, it is the people we meet and the forward progress of our story while we try to figure out which things “belong” on our checklist. I have decided to throw out the checklist; no more jumping through this hoop, or worrying I may have zigged when I was supposed to zag.
I’m not calling for a cavalier approach to life, but seriously, how many times do you take a timid and fearful approach just because you might disappoint some person. My goal this upcoming year is to get closer to God and take more risks in following the call on my life. Not much room for a checklist there. This isn’t really a new idea though, it is pretty much Matthew 6:33 (with a jasonwarrenemly “spin”). By throwing out the checklist and following God and His righteousness, He handles the “checklist”, adding to our lives such things as we need them.
About the checklist... I think we all do that. We put together our expectations that we have about life and then we focus too much on fulfilling them rather than just walking the path God has for us step by step, day by day. But it's hard to throw out that checklist because in doing so you give up the sense of security that comes with believing you know where you are headed. But you are exactly right about Matthew 6:33; if we focus on our relationship with God and what He wants from us TODAY, then the future and all of the checklist items will fall into place when it's time.
ReplyDeleteSo it sounds like you have set some worthy goals. Thanks for sharing your journey with all of us readers. And your special spin is what makes your blog so interesting to read. =)
well, I don't have a wife or an eco-friendly mini van, but I have everything else on the check list! ;) and I turned 30 this year. It's not nearly as scary as everyone seems to make it.
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