awakening

Do you ever feel distracted?
Perhaps you'd rather classify is as being 'pre-occupied' or maybe even 'busy'.

I realized the other night how easy it is to get caught in the 'flow' of a schedule, responsibility, or lifestyle and to forget we're not always supposed to float down the river - part of our training in this life includes seasons where we have to prepare and be strengthened - seasons where we must swim against the flow to reach our destination.

There are things to be learned from everything.
All we must do is stop for a moment - reflect, consider, observe.
I find it most interesting how God often uses these "swimming upstream moments", these struggles, these difficult, stretching, painful moments to teach us most. Why? Sometimes we get so caught up in floating we forget to think. It's easy - it's natural - it's comfortable...

but we're not called to be comfortable.
The journey may be exhausting - it may leave you breathless at times - it may be a fight - it may be a struggle - it may be risky - but remember the hope we work toward - a hope that is greater than any struggle - and so very worth the work in getting there.

As an athlete I can relate to this analogy or picture of exhausting myself physically - as a student exhausting myself mentally - as a Christian exhausting myself spiritually - as a young woman and human being, exhausting myself emotionally - but God doesn't call us to be EXHAUSTED. Yes, the fight in itself may be exhausting - but consider the rest when you reach that bank upstream - consider the refreshing, rejuvenating sunshine that awaits you as you breath deeply on the rocks - glancing downstream from where you've just come. Consider the sense of reward, and the growth involved in the exhausting, risky, breathtaking swim you just completed.

Don't forget there will be more of these to come - but for now...just rest in Him - and rejoice in the strength He has offered to get you this far!