Britta and Me

Yesterday, I went to the park with my family. This is a somewhat usual occurrence for us. Often times we go and hang out at the park so my daughter can play and get some energy out. Sometimes its all of us that go and sometimes its just her and dad or mom. But this day we all went. It was one of those beautiful days that was warm but not to warm. The sun was out and there was a nice quite breeze. All in all it was the perfect park day. So we jumped into the car after naps and headed to the park. When we got there it was full of kids climbing things, running around, playing tag and games about dinosaurs that they had made up. The smaller kids were chasing the ducks and dog's were out getting there walks in. Babies were in their strollers being walked around the small pond where dads and their sons were bonding as they fished for anything that would bite. What a beautiful scene of God's creation and His people enjoying life. When we got there my daughter and I headed out to the playground and we climbed all the steps. We went on the swings with big underdogs and lots of laughter. We went down the slides and through the tunnels. We climbed the rock walls and went on the monkey bars. It was pure joy seeing her enjoy the outdoors and all the things that her body would allow her to do as she got her energy out. For me it was a big day as I enjoyed my daughter and my family being able to be there together and enjoying one another.
The reason I write this is because the park for was often a place that I did not enjoy my family. It was often a place where my mind would be thinking about all the things I needed to do and get done. It was a place where I was distracted by ministry and work and projects hanging over my head. Which often left me irritated and irritable. It often made our time at the park short and left my family always wanting more. You see I was consumed with what I had to do rather than who I needed to be in that moment. Because I was so consumed with what I needed to do I missed out on lots of things. I missed out on small moments of laughter, joy and God's creation. I missed out on my daughter's desire to be with her daddy. I missed out on the laughter and the moments of trust when she wanted me to help her. I was not in those moments because I was so distracted by what I had to do. But yesterday and over the last few weeks I have been desiring to be in those moments. To embrace being a dad so that I can enjoy my family and enjoy being a dad. Being in those moments allows me to see the love that I have been missing. It allows me to see my daughter as my child and not a chore. It allowed my wife to have a few moments to think. It allowed my son to laugh as he got put in the swing for the first time. And I did not miss it this time. I was there. Fully present with my family. It was such a huge moment for me and my prayer is that I will be able to continue to BE the dad I need to be and stop just doing the things that will always be there to get done.

Frustrated?

Sometimes our frustrations lead us to break through thoughts, ideas, and spiritual enrichment. Usually our frustrations are the cause of someone else doing or saying something to us. Sometimes our frustrations are due to ourself as well. But the range of emotions that we go through during frustration is huge.  We get angry, mad and ticked off. We then sometimes move to self loathing, depression, and other emotions as well. Often times we put those emotions on someone else or we keep them in. Both are unhealthy to us mentally, spiritually and emotionally and sometimes even physically. So how do we deal with frustration? Frustration is often times and opportunity to either embrace the emotion in a negative way or to allow it to push you into a positive direction. When we allow it to push us in a negative way the emotions stated above play out in your life and usually there is sin involved there. But what does it look like to use frustration in a positive way? If we are willing frustration has the ability to make us look critically at our life or what we are doing. It has the ability to allow us to come up with great ideas because we allow the frustration to make what we are doing or who we are better. It can allow us to dream about what if I was not this way or what if what I am doing was not this way. It can allow us to be creative, and push ourself to something greater. Maybe that greater is our character, our ministry, our job, our family, our relationship with Jesus or others. Frustration can bring joy to our lives as we embrace the thoughts or criticism that comes to us, whether that is personal or form someone else. Either way frustration can be turned positive and be used to bring greater glory to Jesus Christ in our life and in others lives. So don't let frustration get your down let it pick you up. Allow frustration to let your mind be creative, visionary, disciplined, and loving. Let it show you who you really are and move from that in a way that moves you closer to Jesus. Let frustration give you life in who you are and what you are doing.