Are We Intentional?

I don’t know when the world will change.

I don’t know when the feeling that we’re waiting – for change, for justice, for peace, for a calm in the storm – will end. I’m not sure if it will. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to.

But, I do know this.

On my latest project, I’m diving deep into gratitude… gratitude that goes further than the #blesseds we were so used to seeing before the world changed. We were great at giving lip service to the things we were grateful for – who doesn’t love a great sunset on the beach? A cool drink with friends? A fun humblebrag or two?

I’m talking about all of us – myself included.

But did we go deeper than the likes we hoped to rack up? Did we give it our hearts?

If we did, I think we would have appreciated more in the everyday part of living. We might have noticed our kids laughing at silly things more than becoming irritated at the disruption. We might have spent more time outside, and less time glued to our mobile screens.

We might have seen God show up.

Maybe that’s the point of all of this. We can no longer ignore that our world is broken and in desperate need of a savior. We can’t just push pause on what’s happening all around us while we share our glamour shots and perfect smiles.

You see… God has been showing up the whole time. He’s been there just waiting on us, drawing us near to him as we continued about our daily lives. But, it’s been easy to over look.

We can’t overlook it any more.

As fires rage in our hearts and the hearts around us, and conversations take heated turns for the worst and fear – real fear – grips us as we grapple with this new normal… God’s calming, steady whisper and glimpse of peace has become something I crave; I don’t think I’m alone.

Gratitude has taken a different turn. It’s gone beyond “things” to something deeper. Something this world of ours needs more than ever… it’s become foundational for finding peace. And yet – if we aren’t careful, we might miss it again.

And if we do, I fear the fires will continue to rage. Our differences will continue to mount. Anger will take root and this opportunity to lean completely on our Savior, the only one who has the power to calm the raging storms of our hearts, will fall by the wayside.

Let’s do better. Let’s live lives of surrender that our filled with gratitude that doesn’t depend on the “blessings” we thought we needed before, but rather, on gratitude that changes hearts. Gratitude that reflects up, instead of onto ourselves.

Mire to come y’all. I can’t wait to share what’s in the works.