As I prepared for this trip and I told people what I was going to do, I got a wide array of responses. People thought it was awesome, some people thought I was nuts, still others feared for my life. Over and over again, there was one statement that I heard from people. “I’ll be living vicariously through you!” Or some variation of this statement. People encouraged me to take tons of pictures and post on Facebook and to make an Instagram (which I did cave in and do) so they could follow my trip. Now, the more I thought about this statement, the more I wanted to tell people no.
Don’t do it.
Don’t live vicariously through me.
According to dictionary.com, the definition of vicarious is “felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others.” I am so honored that people think my life is worth participating in imaginatively but this can be dangerous. As I pointed out in the title of this blog, a vicarious life is no life at all. You see, when we live vicariously, we are often so focused on what other people are doing and not on what we are doing in our own lives. This can be dangerous because in the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” There are so many incredible things happening in your life and if you are focused on living vicariously through others, you might miss them. Instead, I encourage you to live boldly.
That’s right, find your inner Gryffindor and BE BOLD.
Wherever you are, God is there. Wherever you are, you can further His kingdom. I think sometimes we get caught up in this idea that we have to go somewhere and be on a mission trip to serve God or to evangelize. That could not be further from the truth (Heck, I’m even on a mission trip and I have to choose every day to live boldly or I will let opportunities to share God’s love pass me by.). People everywhere are hurting and broken. People everywhere need love and need Jesus. Some people are called to serve people in different countries but many are called to serve people at home. Neither is any less in the eyes of the Lord and both require boldness. In fact, I often think we need even more boldness to evangelize to our own friends and family than in a foreign country.
Don’t get caught in this trap of living vicariously and forget to live your own life! You are special and important in your everyday life and only you have the power to make every day a great day. In the words of Albus Dumbledore (yes I did just make a second Harry Potter references in this blog- deal with it), “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” So, do that thing you’re afraid of (check out my blog about how being scared can be a good thing here), talk to that person that you think could really use some love, use the blessings in your everyday life to make someone else’s day extraordinary. Choose to LIVE, not simply exist. You are called to more.
So live and LIVE BOLDY.
