Of Life

A couple of weeks ago I was catching up with a friend through text and when asked "how have things been?" I answered an all too familiar answer to us all. "It's been good, but busy." This time I didn't get away with it though. Her response was "Jon Lys! You always say that!" It caused me to stop and think. That is always my answer to that question. Not that it isn't true, but it tends to lose its effectiveness when it's always the answer. It's like the boy who cried wolf...I'm the boy who cried "busy" so when it is a valid feeling I end up getting carried off by the wolves.

It's like why I haven't blogged in a while. I could easily say "I've been busy" and that would be the end. How lame is that though? The real truth? Friday is typically a terrible day to blog because it's typically my day off. I have actually been trying to do stuff on my day off and so I'm not usually near a computer. Okay, so maybe still a lame excuse. I'm back on it now! That's all that matters.

I had to wonder...did Jesus ever answer with "I've been busy"? Like the time he went back to Nazareth...did he run into one of his mom's friends and they asked "How have you been Jesus?" and he was like "Ah, I've been busy..." My guess is probably not. An answer like that wouldn't have caused his message to not be heard in his hometown. His answer was probably "Here, let me show you." What about the disciples? After Jesus' death and resurrection what if their answer would have been "Ah, I've been busy..."?

I don't know about you, but I am hesitant about answering with "here let me show you." It's like answering "How are you doing?" You say "good" and move on because it's easier that way. I don't know if I want to take the easy road anymore. Granted its probably not a good idea to just gush everything that's been going on to everyone in my life and exactly how I am feeling to every person I interact with, but I need to use some more discretion with my canned answer. The truth is we are all busy. Get over it.

I have quite a few of those moments the past few weeks too. When said in love one of the most powerful things can be simply "Get over it." It's okay to not feel at the top of your game at some points, it's okay to be stressed at some points, it's okay to even be down at some points, but continually being in that state isn't okay. Let me be the first to say "Get over it." And if you feel like you can't just "get over it" I understand that too...but please, please, please get some help to overcome it. I don't believe that we are a people created to mope around wallowing in busyness and bad feelings. Rather I think we are called to be a "Here, let me show you" people.

So even despite busyness and stress, despite not feeling the greatest, despite making mistakes we handle life with a sense of grace, power, confidence and sheer joy so that when people ask, "How have things been?" we answer with "Here, let me show you." I hope you will join me in not letting the little things take what we have been given because I can honestly say after the last few weeks "I want some more of life."