"Go That Way!"

J: "I'm surprised we don't fight more." (as he pulls into a parking spot)
T: "Why's that?" 
J: " Because we are both leaders and have a direction in mind and it's usually never the same." 
T: "Well, it's because we are good at being a team and realize to lead we sometimes have to follow." 


This conversation happened today as we pulled into a restaurant for lunch and to celebrate our anniversary. 


It's true we do not fight. We do discuss a lot and most of the time either one of us sees the other perspective. We don't always agree, but our relationship has always had a silent understanding of surrender. Sometimes I wanna go one way and sometimes we end up going down a completely different road. 


Our two year old toddler is a backseat driver. (He is! Why are you laughing?) As we drive around in my little "peanut car"  (nicknamed by hubby), our two year old often says "Look, Mama!" He usually is pointing to one of the following: tractor, truck, motorcycle, airplane, semi, firetruck, ambulance, train, or police car. If he sees that it's gone in a different direction, he starts whining "Go THAT way, mama!" As he points the opposite way we are going, I try to explain that we cannot always follow behind. He just doesn't get it. I, mean, he IS two. 





This past week I attended the most amazing women's conference ever. It was a great time of refocus, fun and surrender. I took so much away and took fierce notes during every single speaker. 


But the one thing that really stood out and was this: 


Every single person you meet will create a tension in your life.  (@keithcraft)


You don't think like anyone else, live like anyone else, worship like anyone else, parent like anyone else, love like anyone else, heal like anyone else......


Tension (n): the act or actions of stretching 


Every single person you meet will stretch your mind, your thoughts, your beliefs, and so on and so forth. 


So, how do we normally handle tension? 


You tell me. 


The people I encounter usually don't do so well when tension arrives. They want to do whatever possible to rid their lives anything other than comfort. For some reason, we live with the false belief that our lives were suppose to be comfortable. 


Comfortable (adj): free from doubt; free from tension


We want peace.  


What we don't get is that in order to find true peace, we have to find peace while in the tension. We need to embrace it. When our minds and hearts stretch, we are growing in our thinking. If we keep babying our need for comfort, we will never see the change we want to see in our lives. 


Marriage is definitely a test of embracing the stretching of the mind. I'm sure if you are married or have been married, you have a list "tensions." :) 


Having a positive attitude can create tension for those with a sunnier disposition. I kid you not when I say, some people in the past chose to not have a friendship with me because of my positive outlook, my never-ending gratitudes. Just last week, someone said to me "You're barely entering the middle age years. You haven't had time to become cynical yet." 


With all due respect, I REFUSE to become part of that bandwagon. I can only assume that maybe that person hasn't really, truly seen how bad life can be or how God can change  people's stories and experiences. Maybe it's hard for them to believe in a love that moves mountains or moves a girl from being without a family to having the most abundant life she could imagine. 


The list for causes of tension goes on and on.....generosity, forgiveness, loyalty, honor, understanding. You could name a few of your own. 


When we find peace in the middle of tension our embrace actually allows us to excel to a new level. So, while it is  good to surround yourself with people who live similarly to you and think the same way, it is also our job to stand peacefully in the tension. 


Pressure (n): the burden of physical or mental distress; application of force. 


Pressure is not the same thing as tension. 


You are hard pressed (tension) on every side, but not destroyed (pressure). 


You are persecuted (tension) but not forsaken (pressure). 


Every single day you've encountered tension, know to your core that it is there to help you reach the ultimate goal. It's there to mold you and use you for HIS purpose.


Press on! 


Do not fall under the pressure but welcome and surrender to the tension.