Inspirations

I’m going out on a limb here with a long first “real” blog post. But, I’ve been inspired lately and felt compelled to share these inspirations. I hope this gets YOU thinking about the things that inspire you. It’s healthy to be inspired by something – it’s good for the soul.

Romans
I know what you’re thinking: tall, dark, handsome Italian men meandering through the streets of Rome saying “Ciao bella” and making you giddy with an innocent desire to be their gal. That’s certainly a nice thought, but that is not exactly where I was going with this ;-) I’m talking about the Bible. The Book of Romans inspires me.

Martin Luther puts it perfectly: “Romans is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”

So why does Romans inspire me? It talks a lot about atonement by God, peace with God, and dedication to God – and it’s intense. It teaches me how I should live my daily life, as I embark on the journeys to my destinations (you knew I would work that in here somehow didn’t you?), and it gives me a constant pep talk. Whenever I hit an obstacle or a detour (there I go again…), I know that I can turn to Romans to inspire me. My current favorite verse is Romans 12:2:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

How awesome is that verse? Talk about a pep talk! My constant struggle these days is trying to find God’s will for my life. I’m an independent, successful woman who prefers to plan out my life as I think it should play out. And, not surprisingly, I can also justify what I think God’s will is for my life at any point in time. But, God seems to have different plans for me. So until I figure it all out, I’ll enjoy the ride, and continue to let Romans teach me about my dedication to God. I’ll continue to use it as a guide for how God wants me to live my life. How inspiring is that!

An “empty” day
How many days in our lives do we have absolutely nothing planned? Those days when for some reason, social activity has come to a halt, all commitments have somehow skipped that day, your mind is not racing with a long list of tasks that you’ve been putting off forever, and you find yourself with a completely “empty” day. In my experience, they come along once in a blue moon. Empty days inspire me. Why? Because those are the days that I feel like I get to do what is truly important to me. Nobody else decides what I should be doing. No “to-dos” dictate what I need to be doing. It’s all up to me.

I’ve had one of those days recently, and it was exactly what I needed. I didn’t even leave the house. I needed the time in the morning to curl up with my cat, my coffee, and my People magazine. I needed the time in the middle of the day where I got to leisurely make my lunch, then clean out and reorganize my entire closet. I needed the time in the afternoon where I put the down comforter on my bed with clean sheets to prepare for “cooler weather” in Houston, and watched a movie with not one iota of guilt on my conscience. I needed the late afternoon to tuck into a good book that kept me occupied for longer than usual, because I had nothing more important to do at the moment. And I needed the sense of accomplishment that I felt when the day was over and my once empty day became full with things that I love. It was my day. Empty days are inspiring and I encourage you to find one of your own sometime soon. What will you do with your empty day?

Vulnerability
One online dictionary defines vulnerability as “open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.” So now you’re probably thinking that I’m weird. Fair enough, call me crazy, but vulnerability inspires me.

It inspires me because I think that people who expose their vulnerability are strong. I’m not necessarily saying that the opposite is true, but there is something to be said about living your life with a guard up. Some would argue that it’s weak. When people expose their vulnerable side, it means that they are human, and that they are trusting, and that purest form of trust and humanity is always inspiring to me. I’m not talking about the basic form of trust, like that of a friend who tells another friend a secret and makes them promise not to tell anyone else (although that’s still important). I’m talking about when someone acknowledges that they are vulnerable – susceptible to moral attack, criticism, and temptation – and they trust enough in themselves and in those around them to expose those parts of them. That’s truly inspiring, and it’s oh so hard to do. But in my opinion, that’s how the relationships that matter are built.

Those people inspire me to be vulnerable. I want that ability to trust and lay it all out there. And I want people to trust me enough to be vulnerable with me. Nobody likes to admit that they have weaknesses, or faults, or insecurities, or a belief system that may be criticized by others, but as Madeleine L’Engle says:

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable.”

Vulnerability inspires me because it means that you are alive! I am thankful knowing, that in those moments when I trust enough to be vulnerable, I have people around me who will support me and love me :-) I hope you do, too! And when you are vulnerable, just know that you are probably inspiring others to be the same way.