I joined Craig for a work function to honor his CEO who passed away recently. They are holding a tribute ceremony in his honor today and from all Craig has shared about him, he was a Godly man who placed people first. I am thankful for this company that provides for my household and has blessed Craig with a platform to not only work professionally but to also spread the Gospel. I mean how many employers allow you to do this?!
What I didn’t realize is that coming here meant that I couldn’t attend my morning class which has been very helpful. I contemplated driving from Newport Beach (in rush hour traffic) to my appointment and then making my way back in time for the tribute ceremony because let’s face it, that is the responsible thing to do. I am thankful that the therapist provided an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. He told me, “Jenny, don’t come tomorrow. Stop being an overachiever.” Ouch!! This stung, but also enlightened me. This is a truth I needed to hear. Yes, being an overachiever has served me well thus far, but it’s no longer serving me.
Intellectually, I wanted to make the drive to gather more tools for my toolbox, but spiritually I needed the experience of not going to show me that my efforts are always met by God, so I don’t have to do all things by overextending and checking every box. Nothing happened other than this spiritual experience of easing into the day, resting, reading, and now writing fed more into my spirit that being the exemplary patient and not missing my appointment.
Don’t get me wrong, both experience bear fruit (positive results), but we have to be open to switching gears when necessary. In my case, I needed to go against the grain, my own grain in order to see that there are other options, and in this case, joining my husband on an overnight trip was the right option and the spiritual experience I needed more than missing the intellectual experience of making the two-hour drive to my appointment. Life is full of these options, and we have to be open to exploring them as we continue to grow and evolve.
I once heard the phrase “May our longing be greater than our reaching.” I love this because longing to be well, to get closer to God, to find peace, and to develop a healthy rhythm of life should be our greatest longing and not so much the “reaching” or the method by which we get there. Life, God, and our openness will lead us to the right help, people, encouragement, and experiences that will get us there.
I often say, “I just want you God”, and this opens the door to his direction and favor. Like everything in life, it takes effort and practice, but then again anything worthwhile in life does.
It would be dismissive of me if I didn’t close by sharing that today is my nino Javier Martinez 25th anniversary since he made his way to heaven. He was so talented, genuine, kind, and so handsome 🙂 Please raise a prayer to heaven for my nino and my cousin who misses him dearly. I find solace in knowing that my nino and jefe are together this day. If you have lost someone dear to you, you know these anniversaries are hard, but not impossible. It’s the love we shared with the person that shines through on days like today.
Inspire to be Inspired 