Standing Still or Still Standing?

     I have several friends who are starting new jobs...some are starting entire new careers.  I have other friends who are going back to school.  I watch them and am amazed at their courage to start something new.  Meanwhile, I have been with the same company for 25 years.  Right now, my job gives me the flexibility that I need as a parent and a caretaker.  I am able to come home if there is an emergency.  I am able to take Delainey where she needs to be for school activities.   As for school, I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, so I don't even know where I would start.

     I have several friends who have been on a journey to better health...losing weight, working out, and eating better.  I am so very proud of them.  It takes hard work, dedication, and effort to do that.  Meanwhile, I am carrying the same weight that I have for years and have sore achy muscles on a regular basis.  Most days I am just happy that we are not eating fast food.  Meal planning takes time, but I know that it saves time (and money) in the long run.  Finding the time to do these things will make life easier for all of us...and it will make me a happier person.  But right now, I struggle to find the time to do the simple things in life, let alone plan things.

     I have some close friends how have been deepening their faith through Bible study groups, planning mission trips, and new fellowship with others.  I love seeing God work in the lives of my friends.  I on the other hand, am struggling.  I am still strong in my faith in God, but I don't feel that connection that I have had in the past.  Again, this is a matter of making the time...time to read my Bible and devotional, time to meet with others who will encourage me in my journey.

     The reality of my life right now is not what I had planned.  I don't think that anyone plans to stand still.  I think that the goal is always to just keep swimming like Dory tells us.  I want to always reach for something new, something to improve myself and my family, something to make me a better person.  I don't like standing still...I feel like I am on pause.  But maybe, just maybe, I need to celebrate that fact that with all the things going on around me, I am still standing.