Cow-What??
I know what you’re thinking. What’s the crazy story behind that blog title?! Well here it is. I just learned this neat little trick, per my squad leader, Garrett, for when you have the hiccups. What you do is yell “COWPIG!” as loud as you can, with all that is in you. No holding back. Ridiculous, ri
ght? That cannot really work.
However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I recently found myself in a serious situation of uncontrollable hiccups that resulted in me trying this outrageous remedy. My first yell was pretty solid, but a hiccup followed almost immediately. Must notta been good enough! Being completely over having the hiccups I gathered all my vocal strength to yell a vein-popping, face-reddening, eye-watering bellow that echoed throughout our whole apartment (and probably neighborhood). The result? No more hiccups! The moral? Complete commitment. We’re afraid of it, but it can be so rewarding! Let me prove it.
A Healthy Life-Style
The hardest part of working out is throwing on your kicks and walking out the door. Am I right? Before that even, there is the actually getting out of bed. I strugggle with this part the most. During our month here in Sistarovat, Emily and I have started running together in the mornings to keep each other accountable and consistently getting up and at’em. There is nothing I hate more than the sound of my alarm going off at 6:30 am, but I get up for two reasons. Emily is counting on me, and I anticipate the satisfying post-workout feeling that makes it all worth it.
Time With God
Another area that I struggle with is consistent quiet time. It’s often hard for me to actually sit down, focus, and clear my mind to spend significant quality time with God. I am not sure if this is something you’re supposed to admit to as a missionary, but as long as we’re being honest… Here is the kicker though. After I spend time in prayer, song, or in the Word, The Lord gives me such a peace and excitement for what He’s got up His sleeve that I always wonder how I could ever be hesitant to dive into that time in the first place.
Living in Community
Right now I live with five other people that I didn’t know e
ven existed four months ago. When you go from being six perfect strangers to living, working, and BEING together every day, there is bound to be some conflict. Thus the reality TV craze. It is sometimes tempting to dismiss underlying issues and just cruise through on a surface level, but that’s not what this trip is about. It has been really cool to see all of us push past this in different ways and really get to know and love each other for who we are and where we are at. We’re no Brady Bunch, but this past month has marked the beginning of some really awesome friendship in our team.
Making Sense of It All
It’s interesting how these all connect. A wise person once told me that it is when our personal relationship with God is flourishing that our relationships with each other shake out for the best. So what am I learning? To commit wholeheartedly, without reservation, screaming “cowpig!” every time I hesitate or want to coast. I don’t ever want to look back and think, “I could have given more. I could have done more. I could have been more.” Seriously, the hardest part is the initiation, in whatever aspect of our lives we’re resistant to. So I propose that we be. Do. Share. Love. Grow. I dare us.
