I am not a numbers person. I love words. I think the process of putting random letters together to create something poetic and inspiring is absolutely beautiful. Language is always changing. It can be messy and chaotic, but it can also bring a newness to life. In spite of this, I have been thinking about numbers a lot lately.
17,000: the number of dollars I have to raise
242: the number of people I got to read about J Biebs
189: the number of days until I leave on the World Race
132: the number of days until training camp
118: the number of names I have to learn for Student Teaching
100: the number of days before graduation
60: the number of people on my squad I love but haven’t met
6: the number of subscribers to this blog
5: the number of weddings I am invited to this summer (so far)
4: the number of months I have left living in a town I love
The list could go on and on. Too many times in my life, I am focused on the numbers, and for the most part, its the numbers that don’t matter. How many likes did my Instagram pic get? How much money did I make this pay period? How many unread emails do I have?! How many benchmarks do I still have to grade?
Numbers are easy. They make sense because they feel tangible and real. They carry a weight, and the don’t have to be translated or transcribed. Numbers can be added together to create an escape route when nothing else in the world is making any sense.
What I forget is that adding all those numbers together makes for a heavy burden. That realness that can be comforting can soon become unbearably heavy. Numbers have started to run through my head all day and night, but today I was reminded that there is only one number that really matters.
One. Too many times I am concerned with everything except for the one thing that matters. I have been given this one day, and no matter what plans I make, today is the only day I’m guaranteed. There is no reason to worry, no reason to fret. I have this one life to live and I want to live it to the fullest, and that starts by living each day like it has the possibility to be the best day of my life.
So here is my new strategy for this whole adventure. One day, one dollar, one moment at a time. This race, this adventure, this journey can seem overwhelming and intimidating. Thankfully I have a Father who loves to rejoice in the small things. I choose to rejoice with him. So, I leave you with this. In the words of a man who is far more eloquent than I am, take some time to look around at this one, wonderful, gift of a day that you’ve been given.
