Throughout the Race I have experienced many different types of days: days for rejoicing, days of confusion, of adventure, of heartbreak, and many more days that I don’t quite have an explanation for. At the start of last month I experienced one of those particular days that was equally strange and beautiful.
On this day I attended a funeral in the morning, a wedding in the middle of the day, and wrapped up the afternoon with sixty children at a bible club. Who would have thought a person could experience three such distinctly different activities back to back.
I was reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven….”
As I walked through this day I was incredibly aware of my emotions and the feelings of those around me. I mean, how could I not be? Clearly funerals are sad, people cry and mourn. I didn’t even know the person whose funeral I was attending; yet I found myself getting teary over their loss. Weddings are a cause for celebration, people smile, laugh, and dance. Again, I had no personal connection to the people getting married, but the joy of the bridal party was contagious to those who entered the reception tent.
Wedding and funerals are very distinct events with easily identifiable ways that we often feel, but what about the smaller seasons? The days of life that are not as easy to label. Do we still allow our emotions to settle into those days and feel them at their depths? Or do we roll through the days on autopilot until the big seasons come along, and smack us in the face, reminding us that life is happening around us?
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned on the Race is that life is always happening and it’s our job to choose into it every single day. No matter how big or small, all seasons and activities in our lives are important.
I know what your thinking, “It’s easy for you to talk about choosing in and embracing moments, you’re on the World Race!” Yes, this year has been filled with many new, wonderful experiences, but not everyday is a grand adventure. Many of my days feel a lot like a day I would live out at home, only without the people I love and comforts I’m used to. Some days I’ve had to actively choose joy over sadness and grace over frustration.
Since starting this journey, I’ve tried to take time everyday to reflect and remember at least one moment that made me feel deeply- moments that make me know that I am present in world around me. I pray that this is a lesson I will remember and continue to live out after the Race.
What we take away from a season and activity is often parallel to what we choose to put in. I’m learning that each season has it’s own set of lessons and emotions, some harder than others, but they are all worth walking through.
