Jen’s Gem: Know who and whose you are.
The other day a colleague relayed a conversation she’d had with a friend. While she was speaking of the upcoming snowstorm that was to impact our area and the various inconveniences it would cause, her friend, located miles from the California wildfires, stated simply, “Is your house on fire?”
Wow! If that isn’t a mic drop moment, I don’t know what is!
As she told me of this conversation, I paused and thought about my own current reality. I wasn’t looking forward to the snow. I am not a fan of this time of year. Spring and summer are my seasons. I can tolerate autumn, but winter? Not so much. I am counting the minutes to the time in my life when I can fly south to my winter home on the beach.
It’s easy to get caught up in the trials and tribulations of the day, isn’t it? A missed parking spot, a traffic jam, a long checkout line. We all need mic drop moments like the one I described above to snap us back to an attitude of gratitude.
Next week, many will gather around Thanksgiving tables and celebrate all that is well. And while there will be stress over the potential for dry turkey or lumpy gravy, I pray that we will be able to look beyond these trivialities and truly embrace the day with an open and grateful heart.
As she told me of this conversation, I paused and thought about my own current reality. I wasn’t looking forward to the snow. I am not a fan of this time of year. Spring and summer are my seasons. I can tolerate autumn, but winter? Not so much. I am counting the minutes to the time in my life when I can fly south to my winter home on the beach.
It’s easy to get caught up in the trials and tribulations of the day, isn’t it? A missed parking spot, a traffic jam, a long checkout line. We all need mic drop moments like the one I described above to snap us back to an attitude of gratitude.
Next week, many will gather around Thanksgiving tables and celebrate all that is well. And while there will be stress over the potential for dry turkey or lumpy gravy, I pray that we will be able to look beyond these trivialities and truly embrace the day with an open and grateful heart.
My son will turn 21 on Thanksgiving Day. Every few years, his birthday falls on this holiday and it’s kind of cool actually. I’m not quite sure where 21 years has gone. I remember vividly the day I heard the words, “You’re pregnant.” In an instant I can recall the first moment I laid eyes on him.
While the road to raise him as a divorced parent was not always easy, he has taught me more about unconditional love, acceptance, and patience than any other person I know. He towers over me at six feet tall and has a sense of humor that will brighten your darkest day.
While the road to raise him as a divorced parent was not always easy, he has taught me more about unconditional love, acceptance, and patience than any other person I know. He towers over me at six feet tall and has a sense of humor that will brighten your darkest day.
He’s an admitted mama’s boy to which I offer my sincere apologies to my future daughter-in-law. I’ve tried to remove the Velcro that still attaches him to my hip but have failed miserably. Perhaps when he meets the love of his life, he will detach.
One of my favorite apostles of Jesus is John. He was a bit of a “mama’s boy” when it came to Jesus, always describing himself as the “one whom Jesus loved” or “the beloved disciple of Jesus.” I suspect his fellow apostles grew weary of this and would’ve liked to have ripped off the Velcro that attached John to Jesus’ shoulder nearly 24/7.
As annoying as it may have sounded, John was simply stating the truth. He WAS the one that Jesus loved. But guess what? So were the other apostles! The only difference is that John said it out loud. Every day. He declared it. He knew who he was in the eyes of Jesus.
Our words have power. We know this. Whatever we declare – good or bad – will come to fruition. What if our words began to match those that God would say about us? What if we were to align our thoughts and utterances with the blessings He has promised us?
I’m certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that lives would be transformed – forever. I believe in my heart that the chaos, hatred, and division that plagues our world is because we have forgotten God’s promises. We’ve forgotten that He loves us unconditionally. We’ve forgotten His mercy and forgiveness. We’ve forgotten who we are.
I would like to encourage you this week, as you gather around bountiful tables, to take a moment and reflect on the love that your Creator has for you. It is boundless. It is consuming. It will never end.