Keep Showing Up: When a pity party gets cancelled

This week I tried hard to have a pity party.

I knew it was coming on Saturday and I found myself very irritated and annoyed.  I began to think about all the ways life wasn't fair to me.  Being aware of this, I wrote down in my prayer journal that I was going to show up on Sunday Morning super positive and ready to go in.  I was also determined to look out for people to encourage.

Worship was amazing!  It even turned into an old school Hi-Lo aerobics class for a moment with the pastor getting in on the action.

But then we are back to Monday and now I can feel sorry for myself right?

Not quite.

One of my oldest clients told me such a funny story that I couldn't stop laughing after her session.  That continued on  with the rest of them and one client told me something so funny that I missed her entire set of exercise because I was so busy laughing.

Then on Tuesday I had a conversation that changed my perspective about some things and got me focused on others instead of just myself.

My theme this month is to Keep Showing up.

I think about showing up for myself but what if I need to show up for others as well.  

To Sum it Up one of the best cure for a pity party is to think about others.

Leadership

This week there has been one word that I've been hearing:  Leadership

A good leader shows up for her team.  She shows up for the people who she is helping to lead. She's not just showing up for herself.  She's showing up for those who need to be included, may be lost, or who are ready to get involved.

I know social media likes to make leadership appear glamorous and easy but if we're honest with ourselves,  When do people typically need good and strong leaders?  When circumstances are  going downhill.  

That's when they need direction and someone to say: OK everyone let's focus and get on the same page to move forward.

I sense the next volume will involve cutting my teeth in leadership and maybe not just my own thing but some challenging circumstances.  

I'll be real:  I've been praying about situation that has bothered me for a while and I know I am not making it up because 3 separate people have said the same exact thing to me and they volunteered.  I didn't ask them.

With that being said: I decided to pick a Leadership Book to Read at my book this month.  It's The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon.  This book pretty much nails my concerns and so it is inspiring me to make sure that I am walking my talk by being: 

• high energy
• Committed
• Consistent
• focused
•  positive
•  enthusiastic
•  inclusive 
•  passionate a
• being rooted in the word of God.  

There is nothing worse than leaders who say one thing and live another.  Completely ineffective.

The Wait

This week's Devotional was from Elizabeth Laing Thompson and it was about waiting.  It was fantastic!

One day the scripture was from 1 Samuel 1 and I burst into tears.  The bolded pretty much killed it for me.

Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.[d]10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 

11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[f] for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” 

Even as I type this words Elevation Worship is singing in my ears:

I know breakthrough is coming

By Faith I see a Miracle

My God made me a promise

and it won't stop now. 

I know that I am in the flow and that I am doing what I am supposed to do. I know it.  Pastor Javier said that when you don't have peace, it's not God.  I can say honestly that I have peace.  

This week on Instagram I wrote a post about how early on in this Sacred Journey, I prayed for a story that I could not have possibly made up.  I was going to write about it, get up and tell it in dramatic fashion, and maybe even have a song and dance number a'la TD Jakes or Bishop Joseph Garlington. 

Now that we are in the Twilight Zone, I've changed my mind.  I don't like it.  It's too weird and I don't understand what's going on.  I want boring and conventional.

The Lord is like:  NO WAY SISTER.  

God won't get glory with boring and conventional.  That is not exciting.

Sigh.

This week as I was going over all of the crazy and strange things that have happened, I cried, I laughed, and most of all I am grateful for the one who sustains me.

Life is about waiting much of the time.  I know social media leads us to believe life is one big mountaintop after another but it isn't.  It's a lot of putting in work in the valley, a lot of climbing, and a lot of trusting that God is still in control of it all.

These words by Lizzy in our devotional really encouraged me this week.  My pity party was cancelled and I'm determined not to reschedule for the near future.