It’s been awhile since I’ve written something.
Honestly, I’ve wanted to come up with something that rocks your socks off whenever you read about what God has been doing in South America. However, since I have a slight tendency to be a perfectionist, there is never something quite good enough to post.
The memories and experiences I have been able to witness here are wild, and for a long time I believed that my writing wasn’t good enough to display these to you.
I just finished this book by Stephen Altrogge called “Create.” After hiking the Quilotoa Loop for 3 straight days and being in nature the whole time, I have gained a newfound confidence to create.
I think I’ve come to understand my dad, who is an artist, so much better now. He is a creative genius and I love to see what he makes out of paintings and canvases.
In my recent Instagram post about Quilotoa, I wrote about how it is important to stay present and look around yourself, because fog can sometimes cloud our future or the path we are walking in, forcing us to go step by step.
“Blinded by the fog, we were forced to take one step at a time, appreciating what is directly around us. Life is too short to worry about what’s to come. Stay present and admire the beauty around you!”
As I was hiking on the rim of the Quilotoa crater, literally walking in a cloud, I wasn’t able to admire the crater lake from a distance due to the fog. But, I was able to look around me and appreciate the flora & fauna of that region.
If I had a stunning view of the crater lake, I would not have been able to see all the beauty that was right under my nose.
Sometimes I stress myself out with all the things I would like to accomplish in the future and get frustrated with when it’s not happening fast enough.
Proverbs 6:6-11 says:
“You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy – do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!”
If I dream about all the things that I want to do, but never take a step towards doing it, I will still be in the same place..
Stephen Altrogge said: “We tend to give up because we look to far ahead.”
Right now for example. I’m sitting in a quaint café; on my left, my journal and on my right, a giant piece of chocolate cake. If I would have been too consumed about thinking too far ahead about what I’ll be doing after eating this delicious piece of cake, I would not have looked up at my surroundings. I probably would have never talked to Lenny, who sat next to me. We had a lovely conversation and he actually ended up paying for my chocolate cake!
Stay present, if you can’t see beyond the fog, there may be a reason why you can’t at that moment. Take baby steps toward your goal.
When you only see the huge volcano in front of you and you never actually take a step toward it, you will never get there!
Admire the beauty that is all around and don’t get discouraged. Start believing that you can create!
Let’s be diligent like the ant, as she keeps doing what she does, day by day. My dad goes pretty much every day into his studio and does a little bit each day. This is diligence, and consistency! What good is it? He created beautiful paintings over a course of time! Here’s a sample:
What I want to say is that if you have a dream, pursue it. You will not get there right this second, but if you are consistent with taking step after step, you will climb that mountain and conquer it.
Take heart and believe to create!
