I’m writing this blog on Saturday afternoon as we prepare to go to my brother’s hou
se for a crawfish boil. To those in other parts of the nation, yes, we do cook and eat those “mud bugs” down here. Our youngest daughter said she was going to try one today. She’s had plenty of opportunities in the past but only now has she gotten up the nerve.
Just moments ago, we got a surprise phone call from our oldest daughter. She’s at Navy Officer Development School (ODS) and this was her first phone privilege opportunity. She sounded very excited and said she is getting real strong. When someone messes up, then they all get to do pushups and such. Despite all the new challenges, she sounds very upbeat.
Anyway, the main point I wanted to write about is that she prepared hard for ODS. Although her rigorous preparation has made things easier for her, ODS is still a significant challenge for her. Their day starts at 5am. Before going to ODS, she got up every day at 5am and did her running and workout. Since getting there, she has learned that 5am is when they start, not when they get up!! They’ve gotten up anywhere from 3am on to get ready to “start” their day at 5am. Her situation reminds me of a lot of things in life. No matter how we prepare, life has a way of presenting us with more than we ever bargained for. But what if we just show up for life and never physically or mentally prepare to face our challenges? Well, I don’t have to tell you that it often makes unexpected challenges seem insurmountable. Obviously, we sometimes face challenges that there is no way to prepare for. But when we are used to facing our challenges rather than deflecting them, we have a better opportunity to endure even the most heart-rending ones. On the other hand, it’s good to remember that there are a lot of broken people who’ve endured much less than what many others have. They live life as if it is at its worst, but they have no real idea. Even so, not preparing ourselves or our children for the rigors of life makes life seem cruel even when it has merely dusted us up. On the other hand, preparing for our challenges physically, mentally, and spiritually gives us the strength to persevere through the true fires of life.
se for a crawfish boil. To those in other parts of the nation, yes, we do cook and eat those “mud bugs” down here. Our youngest daughter said she was going to try one today. She’s had plenty of opportunities in the past but only now has she gotten up the nerve.Just moments ago, we got a surprise phone call from our oldest daughter. She’s at Navy Officer Development School (ODS) and this was her first phone privilege opportunity. She sounded very excited and said she is getting real strong. When someone messes up, then they all get to do pushups and such. Despite all the new challenges, she sounds very upbeat.
Anyway, the main point I wanted to write about is that she prepared hard for ODS. Although her rigorous preparation has made things easier for her, ODS is still a significant challenge for her. Their day starts at 5am. Before going to ODS, she got up every day at 5am and did her running and workout. Since getting there, she has learned that 5am is when they start, not when they get up!! They’ve gotten up anywhere from 3am on to get ready to “start” their day at 5am. Her situation reminds me of a lot of things in life. No matter how we prepare, life has a way of presenting us with more than we ever bargained for. But what if we just show up for life and never physically or mentally prepare to face our challenges? Well, I don’t have to tell you that it often makes unexpected challenges seem insurmountable. Obviously, we sometimes face challenges that there is no way to prepare for. But when we are used to facing our challenges rather than deflecting them, we have a better opportunity to endure even the most heart-rending ones. On the other hand, it’s good to remember that there are a lot of broken people who’ve endured much less than what many others have. They live life as if it is at its worst, but they have no real idea. Even so, not preparing ourselves or our children for the rigors of life makes life seem cruel even when it has merely dusted us up. On the other hand, preparing for our challenges physically, mentally, and spiritually gives us the strength to persevere through the true fires of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment