Life is Short

Make it Count. 

Some days I have a certain longing... longing to travel, to go on adventures, to be DOING, to see new things, to explore. I miss the vineyards in Umbertide, Italy, and the bright colors in Antigua, Guatemala. 

But I think that there is a longing that goes beyond my wish to travel. 

I long to make it count. What does that mean really? What is the "it" I'm referring to? And what do I want it to count for? By "it" I mean my life- my time on earth. And this is what I mean by what I want it to count for: I want everything I do to be for God's glory, and I want to experience his FULLNESS of joy. 

The bombings in Boston yesterday weighed heavily on me... my heart goes out to those affected and to the city. For me, tragic events like that highlight the fact that life is short. 

And I do not want to live a small life- however long it is. 

Nor do I want a life that is consumed by worry, or by minutia. (Worry is fruitless because we are not in control- absolute trust in God is required.) I want to live a life where I notice and am moved by compassion for the people around me. A life where I revel in the beauty God created- where I enjoy the sunsets He painted for me, the rain He provides for me, the flowers He perfectly crafted with me in mind. 

{The Alhambra in Spain}

I think my desire to travel is birthed out of a desire to experience everything God has for me, and a worry that by staying in one place, I won't. 

But that isn't true. 

Since I am constrained by vacation days and money for plane tickets, I do not travel as much as I'd like. But that is O K A Y because I do not need to be in another country in order to go on adventures, to be DOING, to see new things, or to explore. I do not need to go to another country to experience the beauty and glory of God. 

I am getting a new perspective, or rather, re-directing my longing. Now, I will long to see people around me the way God sees them, and to notice the beauty that He so lovingly has put in front of me- even on my way to work. 

That being said, I have NOTHING against traveling, and still would like to do lots of it. I don't think the itch to travel will go away, it just needed to be put in it's proper place. I still dream of backpacking Europe and of exploring the flora of Central America. And someday- I will. 

{Exploring the market in Antigua, Guatemala}

But for now, I will be content to sit at my desk. And I will be happy where God has put me today. 

{But who knows where I could end up tomorrow...}  

So what about you, Loves? Do you ever sit at your desk and daydream about a swashbuckling adventure somewhere else? 

Happy Day-Dreaming!

xo, The Attic 

ps. The first picture is on an estate in Umbertide, Italy