“It doesn’t suck to be . . .”
And fill in your name.
Sunday afternoon I received a call from a friend I’ve not spoken with in a few months. The last time he called I was LITERALLY in the middle of a busted water pipe (that was my neighbor’s but on my property of the new house in Troutman).
That day he ended up talking me out of running away to another country and serving as a bartender. (Sometimes when I’m stressed, I think that is my dream job . . . standing by the beach serving pretty drinks in glasses with cute little umbrellas).
That day, whatever drama I was trying to navigate ended up being put aside and he pushed me to think of positive things.
Sunday he called again, this time as I was driving to the hospital in Huntersville. We were catching up and he was sharing the exciting new news in his life. He ended his story with the words, “You know what Andrea? It doesn’t suck to be _________.” And he filled in his name.
I had to cut the conversation short because I needed to walk into the hospital. I promised to return the call, got busy and ran out of time. He was kind enough to send a gentle “reminder” text on Monday . . . and after I offered an apology for being a delinquent friend, I called him back.
It was the end of the workday and frankly, I expected him to sound tired, maybe even a little grumpy. But no. He answered the phone with a peppiness and excitement. We finished the rest of our conversation and as we were getting off the phone he reiterated, “You know, it just doesn’t suck to be _________.”
I thanked him for the reminder that it is up to me regarding the way I see things. I can either be grateful for all things – even the hurdles. Or I can look at things with skepticism and negativity.
This morning we welcomed our new associate pastor, Rev. Angela Burris, to the West staff team. You will meet her via video Friday and I know you are going to love her! As we welcomed Angela to West, we began our staff meeting as we always do . . . “Where do you see God at work in West? Where do you see God at work in your own life this past week?’
As Dawn, Josh, Lindsay, and Angela shared about West and the way they see God at work, again I was convicted to see things differently. Things I’ve seen as challenges they’ve seen as opportunities. Times that I’ve felt “pressure” to lead a certain way and have had to do/say things that have made me uncomfortable because at heart, I am a people pleaser, the staff said “thank you” for the ways I’ve led. In that moment, honestly . . . a few tears were perhaps shed because at times that I’ve felt like I am trying to navigate these waters and am doing it poorly (and maybe even alone), they’ve seen God.
It’s all in our perspective.
Mine has needed to change. I need to be more open-eyed to seeing God at work through an amazing staff team instead of shouldering some imaginary pressure to figure this “all out” while trying to lead.
Attitude is everything.
If I stop, there are MILLIONS of reasons it “doesn’t suck to be Andrea Smith.”
You help lead the way with that. Your heart for loving all people makes a difference in this world.
How can you finish the sentence, “It doesn’t suck to be . . . . BECAUSE . . .”
Finishing that sentence will bring new life to tired souls.
Gratitude is everything.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
You are reading a Musing Meditation by Andrea Smith, Pastor, West Church, Lake Norman, Mooresville, NC.
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