Word
Looking back at my life, I often wonder if I’d be the person I am now if I’d stuck to the same routine.
I choose to believe that God calls us to live a life of fluidity, not of rigidness. A life that views the unexpected and unplanned moments in our lives with the same beauty and wonder as the things that we do plan for.
I think often in Christianity when we talk about the word spontaneous, we think more about worship and not necessarily about our everyday lives.
If we’re being honest with ourselves though, deep down inside, at a certain point we get sick of doing the same things day in and day out. We drive the same way to and from work, we eat the same food, have the same generic responses in conversations with friends and family. And at the end of the day we go home, go to bed, wake up the next morning, and do it all over again.
There is so much more to life than simply living according to a schedule.
I think this is why I like traveling so much. Because it forces me to live outside of a certain framework and mindset.
It was around 10 PM on a Sunday. A few days earlier my housemate Max and I had talked about going to St. Louis for a few days. Now this wasn’t the first time that he and I had concocted some sort of plan to travel somewhere without any more than a day's notice.
Initially I said no. I think selfishly because I felt like I had better things to do with my time, when in reality I didn’t.
I built up a whole list of reasons why I couldn’t go. I needed to get this thing done, and this whole other unrelated thing done. But something in me changed the moment he came home that night, something felt different.
I asked him if the offer was still on the table, and he said yes. The next day around 5 a.m. in the morning we left from our house for Saint Louis, it was a very early morning.
But let me tell you, the trip was awesome.
We visited a few museums, checked out a some awesome coffee shops, and had some of the greatest food I think I've ever had.
But most of all I got to experience someone else's life with them.
I got to see where Max grew up. The city which he loves so much, and holds so dear to his heart.
And our friendship grew stronger because of this experience.
I realized something at the end of that trip that I will not take for granted.
I wouldn’t have experienced any of this if I wouldn’t have just said yes.
Living a life of spontaneity requires a willingness to say yes to the uncertain, and sometimes saying no to your own plans. And that God will take you the most interesting places if you do so.
I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow, a week, or even a year from now.
All I know is that I have today, the here and the now.
I don’t want to look back at the end of my life and see a whole list of things that I wish I would’ve done all because I let my fear and selfishness dictate my decisions.
May we allow ourselves the freedom to not let our agendas stop us from experiencing the life God has intended for us.
And may we be willing to risk a little bit more and control a little bit less.
Meal
I would highly suggest looking for a recipe that you’ve never cooked before, or a restaurant that you’ve been wanting to try but never made the time to do so. Invite your friends and make a night out of it.
Music
Blessings by Chance The Rapper
https://open.spotify.com/track/2VQc9orzwE6a5qFfy54P6e
Prayer
Thank you for your mercies which are new every morning
(repeat as necessary)
Time
Find someone in your life who you haven’t talked to in a while. Meet up with them and just spend time with them.
Jeremy Yap