Near the end of every journey you start wondering and evaluating whether or not you have enough energy, enough gas, enough resolve, enough faith, enough capital to finish strong. Usually you have to just pull from the reserves and finish.
Today you will likely disappoint someone by what you decide to prioritize. It may be yourself, someone you love, someone you serve, a colleague, or your leaders/boss. The question is, who will you decide to disappoint?
I learned to be grateful and give God thanks in hardship and need. That makes it all the sweeter to be grateful and give God thanks for good things and in good times. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
Faith is not only believing that God can do something, but it is believing that he can do it for me… and it is not only believing that God CAN do something for me, but believing that he WILL.
Sexual harassment is not a “mistake.” A mistake is when I make an error in addition on a ledger and it shows a balance that is inaccurate. A character flaw is when I change the numbers to intentionally create an inaccurate accounting.
True, I don’t have time for everything, but that is part and parcel of discipline. Discipline is directing the time we do have to accomplish the things that we have decided are important enough to be the priority.
Without first building the relationships and establishing trust, our abilities, skills, and gifts aren’t going to find an avenue for meaningful application.
A “seat at the table” comes with responsibilities. It is being in community with the others at the table. You bring your concerns, you hear their concerns, and when you walk away from the table you have a relational responsibility to steward the table with integrity.
One of the roles of leadership is mitigating, suspending, navigating, and flexing, rules and policies with wisdom and courage for the well being of the team and the effectiveness of the mission. Rigidity never wins the day.
I’m not seeking out the pace for my next season of life, that pace is seeking me out. I am not pursuing the things I want to accomplish before it is too late, they are pursuing me. Perhaps…transitions in my life are more about my embracing them than seeking them out.
It seems that I woke up and found myself in a world where I no longer get a line item veto, it is all or nothing, either I am with you 100% or I am against you 100% No more selective agreement. What the heck?
As I get older I find much of my learning is simply seeing what I already know from a different perspective, hearing it said with fresh words and conviction, and my saying it with a new vocabulary.
The rhythm of the coda of my life will be different than the cadence of the main body of the work. While the coda may be memorable, it is likely that the cadence from the main body of work may be what I am always known for.