Ima People Lover. What.

I just gotta say.  I love people.

I love all walks of people.  I love the people that laugh at your jokes.  I love the people that cry your tears with you.  I love people that hold your doors for you.  I love the people that take their time going through a green light because they're on their phone, not paying attention but have the biggest smile on their face during their conversation.  I love the people that grumble the second they wake up and don't stop grumbling until they fall asleep again at night. I love people that let their kids put their groceries on the counter in the checkout lane.  I love the people that drive across town to get the cheaper gas prices.  I love the people that will stand up for their friends, in any situation, no matter how it makes them look in the long run.  I love people that belt out a good 'ole church hymn but can't sing a note.  I love a happy person.  I love a sad person.  I love waitresses.  I love cowboys.  I love librarians, park rangers, politicians, and brain surgeons.

Yes, I love people.

Now, I may not be the person that will meet a stranger and strike up a conversation that lasts 4 hours.  I may not be that person.  (Although, there definitely have been times that I was).  But I definitely am the person that can grab my coffee, sit on a park bench, and watch people--all day long and be completely entertained.  And completely satisfied.

I love that our God is a creative guy.  I love that he made painters and musicians and film directors, athletes, fashionistas, computer-techs, and dancers.

But what I love most about people is how MUCH of an impact EACH PERSON on this Earth really, truly has.

I love it because I understand it.

I fully, wholeheartedly believe, that if every person on this earth knew that he or she had an impact--positive OR negative--in any given situation, that the world would be much different.  I think that if people took the time to care, took the time to really evaluate how much of an impact he or she has, that person would truly feel a significance he can create.  And on the same note, if every person took the time to relay to another person that he or she impacted him, the ripple would continue.

I'm going somewhere here with this, I promise.

I come across and meet a lot of people in my day to day.  Whether it be the grocery store clerk or the mail man, the movie teller or the mechanic, I'm affected by how they act during our 'interaction'.  One small move, one little word can completely reroute my attitude for the next couple minutes.  I could be on cloud nine.  Or I could get totally bummed out.

And whether or not any of us want to admit it, the way other people act around us, truly has an impact on our heart.  It may not affect our entire being or character.  It may not change our outlook on life..... but it may.

I have made it my personal mission to address these scenarios when they happen.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, who am I to tell someone they messed up my day just by the way they acted in the bank over lunch hour?  But who am I NOT to tell someone they MADE my day...

I am taking a challenge in this next year to cover these people in my blog, in entries entitled, "You Could Have".  I want to point out that during one small small second of time, one small gesture that 'you could have' totally blessed me.  or could have totally hurt my feelings.  or totally threw me off the concentration course today.  or totally motivated a new goal.... You Could Have...

These will be your every day people that you meet in your every day life.  They could be in your life for a minute, or in it for a lifetime.  But fact of the matter is, these people have affected me.  And i want them to know, good or bad, that they've made a difference....

So now that I've explained my initiative, stay tuned for the first entry, You Could Have.    Let's see where God wants to take this one.

Dust off the Blog Machine… I’m back.

 

Yes, I know… I know.  It’s been awhile.  There is no excuse, just merely the fact that I let this thing called LIFE get in the way.  And that’s exactly the problem… Or is it?

There’s something special about posting now though, and looking back on how I’ve just let “life” get in the way these past few years…

October 21st, 2010, I pulled into Nashville, Tennessee--officially calling the South “Home.”  And although any true Southerner would say I still have a long way to go, I’m happy where I am with my “ya’lls”, Sweet Tea cravings, and yes--hollerin’ Roll Tide every now and again! … *GASP*

What a year it’s been.

And there definitely was a moment when I wasn’t all so positive, giddy and saw the world through a glittery purple window.  No, I didn’t sing Disney songs every day and smiles were hard to come by.  And while, I know... That's hard to believe, Most of you know my story.  Most have heard me grumble and giggle at the same time about how I’ve come to where I’ve come.  And most of you know how these past couple years have been a true testament to how I’ve just Let Go and Let God…and how I have let Life get in the way.

Mainly.

Or at least I've tried.

Okay, I really struggled with my "letting GO" part of life, but that's what I'm working on.  And I think it's important to admit it.  But what I can attest to is that once I DID finally just LET GOD, it all--everything--started happening so fast.

I remember vividly sitting on my couch one afternoon in November, just aggravated.  Aggravated with how much time I 'wasted', aggravated with the choices I made and mistakes I had to endure.  Aggravated I wasn't further along in my 'journey of success'.  I remember that day so vividly because it was that day I made a choice.  A choice to Jump.

I jumped.  I jumped far into unchartered waters, undiscovered territory.  I jumped to a place I had never been before that day -- I jumped to a place of the unknown.  And that was complete, and utter Faith.

It was so clear to me that I was not going to make it out alive if a part of me didn't die inside.

So I Let Go.  And Let God.

I remember putting pen to paper and 'doing away' with that year.  I said, "I'm done with you, bring on another"  I wrote everything down I saw myself doing and goals I could see reaching in the year to come.  And I began to pray.

I remember praying to God how hesitant I was of giving up the fight and letting Him take over---as if he was going to 'mess it all up for me' or something.  I remember praying, reminding Him that my desires were perfectly drafted out, in ink, for him to read--should he ever need to brush up on what "I" wanted in life, or in case he forgot.  I remember asking Him to be gentle in how he chose to use me because I was still new, and very much raw, to that whole world of, ....Trust...... and I prayed for my stresses to ease, my anxiety to leave, and my life to begin.

And begin it did.

And now here I sit, a little more than a year ago today I wrote that 'letter' to God.  And although looking back it may seem a little silly, God didn't think so.

To this day, God granted every one of those things on that list.  I didn't even KNOW about Africa, but I weirdly added #3. Go to Africa on the list..... And not only did I GO to Africa... I work for an organization where I can go to Africa all the time!  (*sidenote: sorta)  I wanted a dog.  And although the two I'm temporarily living with aren't MY dogs per-say, I have two dogs.  I mean, some of the stuff was pretty petty, but some of it was pretty intense.  All I know is GOD HEARD ME.

But I can confidently say, that without a doubt--if I still carried that control around with me, I would probably not have gotten through the first thing on that list.  I would not be where I am today.  I would not have the people in my life that I have.  I would not have the amazing amazing, life-altering challenges and obstacles that come my way, shaping and molding me into a stronger and better person.  I would not have experienced the pure JOY that I've experienced.  I would not be me today.

But I had to Let Go.  And I had to Let God do His job....  and I had to stop doing what I thought was mine.

Most people will say that letting life ‘get in the way’ is a bad thing.  It reflects a loss of control.  It sets you up for failure.  It shows a ‘wishy washy’ side to you………

I disagree.

If we didn’t let go every day, letting life take its course, we’d miss out on SO MUCH.  We’d miss those breathtaking early morning sunrises.  We’d miss the vibrant shades of red on the trees in the fall.  We’d miss on opportunities to travel to see places and people we don’t normally see.  A friend’s broken heart being mended.  Peacefulness after an intense storm.  A sweet child’s laugh at the Walmart.  Rainbows after a heavy rain.  The deepest, bellowing laugh from your friends over a glass of wine.  Waterfalls.  Massive trees.  Mountaintops.  Music.  We’d miss being completely and radically changed after being broken down.  We’d miss on the opportunity to then rise above…..

We’d miss out on SO MUCH.

So basically, I guess what it all comes down to is that we NEED to let Life GET IN THE WAY.  Like jumping out of an airplane, (which Yes--I conquered), we have to let our Faith take over that we’ll land just fine.  We have to believe life’s gonna grant us miracles.  God loves coming in and being the Host in our lives.  He loves being able to entertain our desires and fill our needs.  But We need to just throw our hands up and know Who’s in control.  We need to LET HIM COME IN.

The words my most precious and dearest Grandma Betty said to me when I was a child still play on repeat in my head.  We need to just, “Let Go and Let God.”


Looking Back, “A Year in Review”