Expectations & Grace
Overcome > verb > to get the better of; to gain the superiority
Flourish > verb > to grow luxuriantly; to be in a state of activity or production
You've read it here before and I'm sure I'll write about it again - grace is so much simpler to attain than reaching for unnecessary expectations!
Oofta - that is one {of many} things I have learned from 2020. And as the "last" year came to an end, I started thinking about choosing my word for the year to come. I took the Dayspring "Word of the Year" quiz again {ok I took it a few times, just to make sure!} and "Overcome" was the word I was given.
It struck a chord; I have plenty to overcome and there will always be "something" to overcome.
But then I got to thinking, what happens when you do overcome? Or, in all honesty, what do I get for working hard to overcome something?
I get to flourish.
When I looked up these definitions, they both lit a fire in me. And immediately a tagline appeared in my head {thanks to those marketing classes!}
"Overcome excuses & start to flourish."
me ;)
I am really good with coming up with excuses to NOT follow through with something that, even though I know I SHOULD do but since it's not really "life or death" than I have a way out of it. You know what I mean.
And with a new school schedule/routine starting up this second half of the year, I just KNEW that I would have plenty of excuses to overcome and there would be plenty of ways to put these two words into practice.
If I overcome the "lack of sleep" excuse, I will not be as rushed in the mornings to do all the things before the running around for the day starts. I may feel tired at first, but I will flourish in efficiency.
If I overcome the "I can do it tomorrow" excuse, I will get whatever "it" is and have more time "tomorrow" for something else. I get to flourish in achieving a few goals I have written down.
If I overcome the "they can entertain themselves" excuse, I can flourish in making memories and finding joy in the moment with my boys.
This is NOT the norm for me -- I would be the one videoing and I would be just fine with that. BUT on News Year Eve I wanted to start FLOURISHING!
If I overcome the "I'll never be good enough" excuse, I will flourish in the strength gifted by grace to continue on because I am made whole and complete by the love of my Creator. Remembering He makes me "good enough" and that is MORE than enough to flourish in life.
I know having some sort of expectations is important, but my main point is when those expectations aren't met {because we're all human and that means we'll mess up} that we accept or extend grace and watch the recipient of that grace -- whether it be ourselves or those around us -- flourish under that gift.
