I'm back! I'm home from a restful break in Oliver, and rolling back into the next semester at full speed. Man alive, there has been a lot of passion-testing and development this season, which is exactly what I want to talk about today. Have you ever come out of a busy time that keeps your senses on high alert and your productivity at max capacity, just to crash and burn emotionally? That's a fairly common experience, especially in our industrialized culture that capitalizes on time and productivity. We're all working hard for something all whilst nurturing the maturing dream that hangs on our backs. We all want to see our dreams come to fruition and 'leave the nest' so to speak, as well as remain relevant in this driven culture. What comes in the way? The fog. This mysterious emotional deterrent from passion and vigor is exactly what I want to talk about today, and I'd love for you to ponder it with me. DistractionsThe fog isn't something that comes out of nothing, but rather is supplemented by different contributing factors in life like stress, over-active cortisol production, and many mental illnesses. It sets in from all angles with one intent: to falsify doubt in your line of sight. This season has been one of ups and downs for me - of succeeding and also switching into hyper-drive to push forward. There hasn't been anything that has inherently marked failure in a little while, but I have felt the challenges and the setbacks. I've done pretty well as of late, but as soon as I stepped into my time of rest this season, my bones ached with emotional shrapnel; which in turn eroded at my passion and vision with razor-sharp edges for no reason other than to distract me. For quite some time, I've struggled to keep my head above the anxieties of 'the quota', and what it is I feel I should be matching up to with my peers. The funny thing though? This season has been full of divergence of priorities and interests. Not necessarily in a bad way, more in a sort of 'specializing in the roots of my spiritual assignment' kind of way. Needless to say, my focuses have been unique this season (ex. finishing my university Biology course while training to be a Pastor in Bible College, along with some other quirky embarkings). In all of this "trail-blazing" (ehh, that's what we'll call it for now), I've spent time refining my ability to look keenly forward instead of back at what I'm missing out on - back at the cultural comparison that awaits, desiring to see me petrified as a pillar of salt. It's remarkable how often we as the human race get caught up straining our eyes to the sides while keeping our heads forward, desperate to compare ourselves. Comparison comes like a storm and erodes every vulnerable surface it can reach without warning. This tendency, however, isn't what pop-culture makes it out to be. It's not a hyper-glorifying reality that keeps your style game strong, and its not some dark power that finds itself destroying people - rather its something in the middle: a mere distraction. For sure it has some application to consumerism and it most certainly can degrade people, but it is our choice whether or not we will give it our attention. Think about counter-cultural Jesus or any of the great human rights movements, think about the quirky people who have stepped forward in complete disregard to the power of comparison and done something beautiful. We can do that too. If you know your foundation and are sound in your purpose, walk on that. We don't have to crawl shakily on our personal foundations of purpose and passion that have been laid in concrete; the ditches and bombshells on either side awaiting our attention and comparison are not at all strong enough to break our foundation, and yet we walk like we're on eggshells. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8. This verse from Philippians isn't grabbing at air, it's digging at the loving, purposeful, and righteous core that has been solidly promised. We don't need to spend our days wavering through the fog, unable to see past layers of doubt and comparison, we have been promised individual purpose regardless of who likes us; and the rest we can leave to the Holy Spirit to work through. This week, remember that your 'relevance' doesn't depend on the dull, emotional fog that brings fear and comparison. You have been crafted to walk forward boldly. Let's be the ones who walk confidently on our cornerstones regardless of weary moments, hopeful in something much bigger than us. Let's be the ones to remember that we are irreplaceable and unique. - Rebekah
1 Comment
2/11/2020 06:12:05 am
Not only am I happy to see you back on this blog, Rebekah, I’m glad to see you discussing this specific topic (and doing it with scriptural grounding) as it is something that we all find ourselves experiencing at some point. I myself have struggled with this at multiple times in recent weeks and I appreciate the thoughts you have provided on how to deal with, and move forward from, “The Fog.” Thank you again for sharing all of this, and good luck to you and Aiden as your busy winter rolls on!
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