The Gift of Peace

Hey hi what’s up!?! I don’t have much to update you all on, I’m basically still just living the dream; adding things to my online shopping cart that I will never buy and giving my private Snapchat story daily Trader Joe’s hauls!

So, two weeks ago I had to give a speech in front of a gym full of people at school. If I had been asked to do this just 12 months ago, it would have been meltdown central in the Mayberry household. But this year, it was different, like day and night, North and South, Taylor and Kanye. You get the point. This was definitely not my forte, I would much stick to typing to my little blog every month. But the choice wasn’t mine, so the world spins madly on and before I knew it, speech day had finally arrived. I had just finished my final practice run in front of my mirror and headed out the door. I was on stage awaiting my turn with friends, family, and everything in between in the crowd ready to listen. I remember being oddly calm, nothing like the foot-tapping, fanning myself with the printed copy of my speech and anxiously twisting my ring type of nervousness that I remember having during my Junior year communications class speeches. I would always say that little “omg plz don’t let me die'' prayer real quick before every speech, you know the one you whisper before getting on the rides at the county fair. But this time around, I simply just gave the speech, free from all of the crippling nerves and ridiculous “what if..”s. I made some people snicker. They applauded. That was that. And to tell the truth, it wasn’t half bad.

The reason I’m even bringing any of this up and telling that seemingly pointless story is because what I realized after the whole experience is that I have been given the greatest gift anyone could ever ask for and I had failed to realize it until then. Through pursuing a relationship with the lord, I have found a life of peace. Every moment of weakness is met with God’s reassurance and truth. Every issue, worry, or regret that comes into my life is greeted with a smile, a wink to the sky and grace (sometimes after a brief moment of panic of course), because we are human after all. But, let’s be real, we literally have barely any control of what happens to us on this giant rock anyways, so why worry? Sounds so simple right?? Well, it literally is! Stop giving life to these small and insignificant so-called “problems”, and you’ll find that life’s not so bad afterall. It’s human nature to make things harder on ourselves. To say it in the most literal sense I can think of; stop making a thing out of every little thing!!! That may sound harsh, but start making the conscious choice to not let something ruin your day and watch your life improve. What changed the game for me was #1) deciding what was actually worth my energy and time and #2) asking myself if there was anything I could do to change/help the situation (hint: there usually wasn’t so I learned to simply let go, and let God). This used to be such a foreign concept for me (someone who tends to wallow in the “what could have beens” of every situation). If that sounds like you, let go of the illusion that things could’ve been any different than they are. If something was meant to play out a certain way, it would have. Stop putting energy into things that don’t give any back to you! You have the power over one thing in life and it’s your mind! Let it be the place that radiates hopefulness and reassurance. Give it the gift of peace. In a difficult season or when I have 37 different tabs open in my head and I just need a moment to breathe, I tell myself that God will provide, he is working things out in my favor, and in time it will make sense. And you know what I’ve come to find? They literally always do. This isn’t to say that my life is so awesome and care free 24/7, it just means that I now know how to deal with and make sense of the curveballs. I almost come off like I don’t care about anything because things that should “shake” me and cause a mascara-running down my face melt down just don't anymore. And I don’t say that to be all ~woe is me~, it’s all the Lord’s work.

Now with all of this being said, the way that you “protect your energy” so to speak may look different and that’s okay! It may be making time for yourself in ways that help you recharge; go for a walk (listen to your favorite podcast) or lay out a mat in your front yard and do some yoga (life’s short who cares if the neighbors stare), bake some cupcakes, whatever it is that helps you remember the beauty in life and the fact that everything.will.work.out. So as you go about this new season, remember that life doesn't have to be SO hard all the time, but for the times it is, I hope you know who to call :)