Reflections & Remembering’s
In the summer of 2018 I got the chance to travel to FIJI and New Zealand on an Outdoor Leadership trip. The following is an old blog post from that time in my life.
Our lessons in life can continue to teach us. Sometimes they need to be revisited to be remembered and sometimes we revisit them to be taught something totally new. So without further ado!
July 20, 2018
BULA!
This last week I’ve been on “Fiji time” a.k.a no hurry, no worry.. immersing in a culture very different than the one I am used to. There’s something the Fijians get that a lot of us truly miss on a daily basis. Whether it’s the slowness and serenity of being in the moment or the need of just the bare minimum. The contentment and happiness of the people I have gotten to meet on this journey in Fiji, were not derived from “the newest coolest gadget” or “perfectly packed organized schedules” or any “thing” really they were just happy to be.
This led me to some thinking of course... You’re not always going to understand why you are where you are, just soak it all up. Don’t wish for the past or the future. Take a seat right where you are in this season, breathe. Take it all in. Keep following where you’re being led, some day it’ll make sense and we’ll see this huge beautifully orchestrated painting of the life God created. Embrace the bumps because that gives the picture character, find the color and beauty in your own painting, and remember no two paintings will be exactly the same.
More often than not we see others' paintings more than we can see our own. Don’t get caught up in that, focus on where God asks you to put your paintbrush. Don’t miss what’s in front of you. Cherish every moment no matter how big, small, beautiful, or ugly it might be. Seek the simple, because we don’t need extravagant things to be who we are.. we really don’t need anything aside from our sweet sweet Lord. Sometimes the more stuff we have the less us we become...
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
-Matthew 6:21 (ESV)
“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”
-Proverbs 14:30 (ESV)
Present Day Reflection:
I remember sitting in the airport typing away on my phone to create this blog post. It feels like a distant memory now. The summer of 2018 was a pretty formative time for me in my life - and I learned so much and experienced so much that summer. As years continue to go by it’s easier to forget.
As I read this back again I smile, some of this I still carry with me today and some I’ve lost and forgotten.
The words that really struck me this time are, “You’re not always going to understand why you are where you are, just soak it all up. Don’t wish for the past or the future. Take a seat right where you are in this season, breathe. Take it all in” and “Embrace the Bumps.”
I think it can be really important to come back to the lessons we’ve learned in life. To reflect, to remember, and to potentially be taught again.
Do you have lessons and learnings you’ve had in life? Do you live those lessons out? Have you forgotten about them? Are there things you need to learn again?
Consider the importance of reflection in our lives.
much love,
kims
