lessons from my life... to be or not to be

This last week I've been reminded of something that has been a constant lesson in my life during the last few years; the importance of being. The adored family cat, Pookie, is very good at this. Can you tell?!

Pookie is so loved in my house that she has earned the title of Fur Child from my mum. Yep, you read that correctly. She is loved, fed, sheltered, cared for, played with, snuggled and - I'm almost ashamed to admit - taken for walks around our backyard on a lead because she is a timid little girl, all because she belongs to us, and we call her ours. And Pookie, well, she has no concerns. Why should she?!! All she knows about living is how to be in the here and now. 

During the last week I've been sick with a sore throat and a head cold for the first time in nearly a year. Due to my CFS, I'm advised to rest more when my body is fighting illness. I don't view this kind of illness as negative; it's my body working on my behalf to get rid of the germs that are not good for me. To rest is to assist my body in this process by not interfering with the healing that is taking place. And this requires me to stop and just be. Now, for someone who likes to be ticking off items on a to-do list this can be challenging. Anyone else?! Well, I did this last year during my seven month sabbatical. And guess what? I learnt what it means to be a human being; my worth is not defined by what I do, my worth is defined by who I am.

But how many of us define ourselves by what we do? our job title? our good deeds? our family life? our socio-economic status? Let me tell you... all of these things, while they have a place in our lives, they are temporary and they can be gone in a second. The Bible says, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:4). Our days are numbered on this earth. But we spend them reliving what happened yesterday, worrying about what may happen tomorrow, all the while missing the moment that is today. 

We make choices every day, from the moment we wake up until the moment we lay down to sleep. I want to choose being over doing. I don't know about you but I'm tired of the doing, of the striving, of the pace of life when you try to keep up with the Kardashians! It's all in vain! I don't think you can be satisfied when you try to pour yourself into a picture of someone else's life! Let me tell you dear reader that you are enough! You were created in the image of a loving God who knit you together in your mother's womb. You weren't an accident; you were a thought in the mind of God before you were conceived. And He knows exactly who you are. 

My worth is not defined by what I do, my worth is defined by who I am. And who I am is a child of God. Even if I did nothing more for the rest of my days, He would still love me, all because I belong to Him, and He calls me His. So, I think there's something I can learn from the family Fur Child. I think I can embrace being present in every moment, being thankful for what I hold in my hands and my heart, and remembering to stop and just be. 

I encourage you to find a place of stillness, do some dreaming, and let the burden of doing be lifted. Just be.