Feel Good Friday is a regular series to give you a smile, a chuckle, or a nugget of wisdom to get your weekend off on the right foot!
“God can’t put something in your hands if they’re already full.” Tweet this quote!
If you’re anything like me, you know that you need to slow downโthat you can’t survive much longer feeling so overcommitted and over scheduledโand yet you keep finding reasons to delay putting on the brakes.
I’ll slow down once this season’s over/this project’s finished/this goal is met.
It’s as if the promise of less stress, better wellbeing, and more peaceโall of which come from a gentler pace of lifeโisn’t enough motivation for us to make a change.
Well, then, here’s another motivator.
When we’re living our lives at 100 miles an hour, opportunities are certainly going to come our way: in our careers, in our personal lives, in our relationships. But we won’t be able to capitalize on them because we’re too busy buzzing past them in a blur. We’ll end up saying no to the best things in lifeโor worse, saying yes but only giving partial effortโbecause our attention is too fixed on other stuff that doesn’t really matter.
This weekend, take a moment to look at your handsโat your schedule, at your relationships, at your to do listโand ask yourself this question: If the opportunity of a lifetime came along today, would I be able to hold it?
Are your hands too full today? Can you make space for unexpected opportunities?
image via GLady
23 responses to “Feel Good Friday: The Opportunity of a Lifetime”
I always marvel at how similar we are and how if we lived closer we would probably meet for coffee regularly! I have a mantra – slow is the new fast.
I feel the same way, Tara! We are definitely kindred spirits. Love that mantra!
You need to move to the beach and live on ocean time!
Our lives move with the tides. I skipped a swim this morning, as my shoulder was quite sore. A few hours of sleep, and it’s better.
Today I’ll clear a piece of our land so we can plant blackberry bushes in the spring. (The clearing will take a few months? I’m hoping it’ll be done before E is born, but am open to working on it postpartum. There’s no rush. Just a vision with work needed.)
It’s just different here. We know to be patient and respect. High tide brings treasures and doesn’t happen without low tide.
Oh Wendy, that sounds so lovely! I desperately want to visit the West Coast to see for myself what a slower pace of life looks/feels like.
I’m sure I would find a way to make it work! I definitely feel like my hands are pretty full these days, but they are full of good things. Slowing down is a constant battle for me. Great post.
Yes, I think my problem is that my hands are full of things that aren’t that important…in other words, my priorities have gotten a little out of whack.
I definitely feel like my hands are always full, but I also have the habit of just dropping it all when something big comes along. Eventually I pick everything up, but some things break. My blog tends to be one of the things I drop, and it is really a struggle to get it back to where it was before I dropped it.
I can relate to that, Angela! I have no doubt you will build your blog back up, and I hope you don’t stress about it too much. Your priorities were elsewhere, and rightfully so!
This is such a good reminder for me. I’ve had to stop myself this week and just allow myself to say no. My hands are full, but if that big opportunity were to come, I know what I’d need to drop.
This is such a wonderful reminder and a fabulous “task” for this weekend.
I find I have more clarity when I spend time with God – and spending time with Him “multiplies” my time to get things done. However, this doesn’t mean that my time should be filled up.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Agreed, Jennifer. Having that little bit of extra space for the unexpected is so importantโand good for your peace of mind, too!
I love this, Katie. I’m actually reading a book right now about this very subject called The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst and it is so eye-opening. I don’t want to live my life in a blur. As Lysa says, I want to know the best way to use the two most powerful words: yes and no.
Sounds like a great book! Adding it to my reading list now.
I literally looked at my hands! What you said is so true about having lots of opportunities but not being able to manage or enjoy them.
This weekend is meant to be spontaneous and whole. Just based on our desires about what to do with the kids. I can’t wait.
I hope it was absolutely lovely, Tamara!
If the opportunity of a lifetime came along today, I would toss most of the things in my hands so I had room for it. That shows me that most of what I’m holding isn’t essential, and that I can (and should) let most of them go.
Exactly how I feel too, Dana!
I love that first quote!! Thanks for sharing with us!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my hands are way too full. I know it too. And every other week or so I try to make myself put something down. And then I can’t bear to part with anything. But you’re so right, I’m missing so much because of it.
I’m the same way, Tricia. I want to put something down, but I don’t because I love it all!
When I was away- I found complete clarity on what needs to fill my hands the most. My kids. I didn’t miss writing or blogging or the ministry or all my dear friends, or even my family- I really just let those all go easily. What I could not WAIT to get back to… was my kids. And I pictured all the time I spend and all the images and scenes that I adore…
And I want much more. I need much more. THEY want much more. And perhaps? They need much more.
Emptying my hands just a bit, so there’s more room for THEM.
Beautiful, Chris. Just beautiful. And true for so many of us.