Kathy is a good friend of mine who has a knack for seeing God in everything. She is also working on her first book, due out in time for Mother's Day 2016. The post below in an excerpt. May it bless you today!
I was placing groceries in the car one day, and then it happened: A gust of wind snatched the receipt that was sitting loosely on top of my bag and lofted it into the air. Now, as a girl who started her own "Pollution Solutions" club in grade school, I make a point to pick up my litter. So I began pursuit of the receipt, desperately hoping I would not see myself on YouTube a few hours later as the crazy lady chasing paper across a parking lot.
Thankfully, I was able to catch it without too much comedy. And even more thankfully, God used that moment to remind me of Ecclesiastes 4:6:
Better one handful with tranquility than two and chasing after the wind.
When it comes to how we do life these days, I believe we've generally become a culture of wind chasers. Professionally. Parentially. Socially. You name it. Instead of being content with one handful, we look for more. Different. Better.
We say "yes" to too many things.
We define success through the wrong things.
And we pursue perfection at the expense of our most important things.
My pastor has often said, "there is no 'there' there." In other words, we chase achievements and experiences and stuff, thinking that once we get "there", life will be perfect. But just like we can't catch the wind, we can't catch perfect. Rather, we find that the satisfaction of "there" is temporary, and the cycle starts all over again.
In letting go of perfection and control, cultivating "one handful" living is an absolute necessity. Oh, what joy awaits when we stop chasing the wind and learn to enjoy the tranquility of the breeze!
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REFLECT
What "wind" are you chasing that takes up a lot of mental, physical and/or financial energy? Is it worth chasing? Will getting "there" make or break the broader story of your amazing life?
REFOCUS
Select a project at work or within a volunteer effort where you have accepted more than your fair share of the tasks, largely because you were afraid to say no and/or are over-concerned about people pleasing. Look objectively at the project and determine one or more tasks that can be delegated or eliminated. Then do it.
Consider the "handfuls" in your home life. Grab a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center. On the left, list the things that only you can do. On the right, list the things that someone else could do and the things you choose to do out of obsession or compulsion. (Be honest! Letting go of martyrdom is a big step to letting go of perfection and control!) Choose at least two things from the right side to delegate or simply release.
REST
Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better one handful with tranquility than two and chasing after the wind
Like what you've read? Discover more from Kathy on her website: http://narrowgatewellness.com/ngw/blog/