Monday, January 29, 2018

Just another box to check

This school year I took on something that absolutely makes my heart happy.  I decided to lead one of the groups for the JAM (Jesus and Me) Club at our school.  What a great way to fill my cup and actually be with kiddos.  A win win situation in my book.  Since coming back from winter break I have been trying to be excited and passionate, but the weather seriously brought out some crazy in both the kiddos and myself.  So I do feel drained this month each Wednesday when I attempt to get the kids excited about scripture and messages.  However there is some good that comes from this tiredness.

See this month the kids are focusing on strengthening not only their bodies with New Year's resolutions, but strengthening their souls as well as connecting more to God.  Of course I am an open book to the kiddos and I told them that I was going to do two things this year:  work out daily and read my devotion in the morning.  It literally has taken me three weeks to do the latter.  I mean how hard is it to read a few pages in the morning.  I have the time mapped out.  I eat 1/2 hour before I work out, so there is not room for excuses, but I still drug my feet on this one.

It wasn't until recently that I finally said enough is enough and I grabbed that book and took it to the basement where I typically waste the half hour watching something irrelevant on Netflix.  I had the book downstairs so that I no longer had an excuse.  So last Wednesday I read my devotional and announcement this huge accomplishments to the kids.  They were not nearly as impressed with the accomplishment as I was, but hey I followed through.  I began actually sticking to the spiritual part of my resolution!

Thursday came along and I was all pumped because I once again read my devotional, but I am going to be honest with you I didn't like what it said, so I ran upstairs to grab my other one because I have two for the year of 2018.  I read that one and it was pretty much the same message and I was like huh maybe I should actually listen to it.  It is funny how one of the gals that helps in the JAM club actually texted me to check in to see if I actually followed through for Thursday in reading my devotional.  I boasted and informed her I did and that I was really excited that I am sticking to my morning decision so that it can set the tone of my day.  Funny thing is that I wasn't liking what I read, but hey I checked it off my to do list so winning in my book.

So as the day continues I took  look at those devotionals that sat down in the basement.  I mean I really took a look at those book and I realized I had been reading my 2017 devotionals.  Seriously people, it was as if I said I was doing my resolution, but in all reality I wasn't really doing the work or listening to the words on the pages, I was just checking off another thing to do on my to do list, and in doing so I didn't even pick the books with the right year!!  Bringing those books back upstairs to then see the books that were actually to be read for this year, made me a little ashamed that I just wanted to say I did accomplish a goal I had set for myself.

Now this was an easy fix, and yes on Friday I was reading the book and actually listening to what it said.  It actually had a great point and it did set the tone for how my day was going to go.  But what makes me wonder is how often do I go through life just checking off items on my to do list, and not truly embracing what is going on around me?  I think as I continue through this season of life that this is a sign that I need to stop just checking the boxes, and actually relish in the things that I am doing or at least start looking closer so I don't end up eating something expired.  :)

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