Chasing After the Wind

Shopping has never give me much of a thrill. In order to do it at all I have to be fortified by a good breakfast, have on comfortable shoes and have a written promise from whomever I go with that we are not going to lazily stroll through the mall, we will not be looking in every store, we will be out in an hour and we will conclude our time with lunch. But every now and then I grudgingly give in to one of our daughter's who has lovingly invited me to meet her at the mall for some girl time. The girls know the drill...move fast, keep Mom hydrated and fed, and know when it's time to leave!

"Why", you might ask, do I have such an aversion to a treasured national past-time? Let me explain... there really is a point to my ramblings!

We live in a day and age where we are being encouraged daily to re-invent ourselves. We're challenged by every possible source to evolve, try new things, be a new person, do whatever it takes to be happy and fresh.

There are certain realities that are guaranteed regardless of how hard we fight against them. For instance, growing older is a given. You have absolutely no choice in growing older. However, grappling with the changes of aging while trying to enjoy where you are and spending your time wisely is a variable. You do have a choice as to how you will travel through those realities.

Battling against the inevitable is an exhausting, unsatisfying, frustrating, never won fight. It’s like chasing the wind. We understand the uselessness of chasing the wind, sort of. But if someone writes a book called, How I Chased the Wind and Caught It, we will probably line up with all the other chasers and buy that sucker with the hopes that maybe the wind is worth chasing.

I’ll be honest with you, I’m a chaser. Always have been, always will be. My parents were chasers, their parents were chasers, and down the line... If we go to the beginning of mankind, we know that Adam and Eve were chasers too. I’ve chased after tons of things hoping there would be enough satisfaction and substance to them, that once found, would sustain me. I won’t bore you with a list of the various things I’ve subscribed to throughout my life anticipating they would bring me joy and fulfillment. However, being a chaser isn’t all bad. It’s what you pursue that makes the difference.

Paul says in Hebrews 12:1, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross…consider him…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

God wants us to chase after him. But, unlike chasing the wind, the Bible promises that God loves those who love him and those who seek him will find him. He's definitely worth the chase.

Have you noticed the map locator on the sidebar? It's one of those widgets, (I'm beginning to speak a little blog!), that you can add to your blogsite that indicates where your readers are located. It is the coolest thing ever...the wonders of modern technology, I love it.

While the dot gives an approximate location of where you are it doesn't say anything about who you are. It's just a dot on a map. But the truth is you are much more than a dot. You've got a story and those little red circles have roused my curiosity.

I've always been curious about people, much to the embarrassment of my family! I was one of those kids who wasn't satisfied with being seen and not heard. Not much has changed in that regard. When my children were younger they used to cringe whenever we rode an elevator knowing that the chances were really high I would end up talking to anyone unfortunate enough to ride with us!

People are facinating, complex and downright surprising. And I think, for the most part, folks are desirous of being known. Why do you think blogging has become such a phenomenon? Blogging has become our opportunity to tell our story...the story of where we came from, where we are, where we're going, what we think, and what we believe.

So, fellow dots, what's your story?

I'm giddy today! Giddy over the change in my blog! Giddy because I actually changed something without having to breathe into a paper bag afterwards!

Huge thanks to Jennisa and Angela for providing a service for those of us that are blog-challenged. Want to spice up your boring blog? Go to http://www.jennisajoy.blogspot.com/.