Welcome to 5 Minute Friday. Today's word is AWAKE
Why, oh why, oh why is it so hard to come awake? The soft bed cocoon is a seductive siren urging me to stay where I am. It doesn't matter what I have to do that day, I can rationalize it all away when I am in the loving arms of my bed.
I think it would be easy to settle into middle-age and not be awake to any of the possibilities life offers at every stage. Our society celebrates the idea of retirement, but my life is such that at a time when people are thinking, "Oh, retirement is just a decade away," I am at the point where I'm thinking "What's next for me?" I am not planning to retire, I'm hoping for a brand new kind of life with brand new opportunities and hopefully, adventures.
My husband and I will likely never be able to retire, but I'm starting to feel all right about that. This is just how life seems to be working out for us. But even more than that, I'm not sure the Lord wants us, or any Christian to retire.
Time's up. Darn. I was just getting started.
Five Minute Friday is all about writing. Write for five minutes, non-stop, no editing on the word proposed by The Gypsy Mama for that Friday. Link your post back to The Gypsy Mama, invite others to join in, then read the post before yours, comment on it and encourage the writer. What could be easier or more fun?Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
"Time's up. Darn. I was just getting started." I think that might be my favorite ending to a Five Minute Friday post EVER!
ReplyDeleteI can really relate to the analogy of staying in bed - where there is comfort, vs. waking up and embracing life. We're in the stage of life with little kids, and in some ways it so full of possibility, but it's also easy to to let days and weeks just slip away without that intentionality.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here & linking up! I'm so glad you did.
Thanks Annie. My children are grown or nearly so. I really miss the days of little ones, but also remember how exhausting they were. I also remember thinking, "Will I ever be able to sleep later than 6:00 a.m.?" I could use those persistent little alarm clocks now.
DeleteMine too!!!, for sure! I literally laughed out loud!!! Loved it!!
DeleteAwesome share ... I feel the same way, if I don't accomplish anything I feel as if I've wasted a part of my life ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my HOPEannFAITH!
Blessings,
Andrea
It was great visiting your blog. Thanks for the return visit.
DeleteI'm with you. Noting doing a single new thing in life is a waste. There's a lot to do then just being a sleep on a comfortable bed =)
ReplyDeleteMeant not doing*
DeleteI agree. (Although sleeping in a comfortable bed is great :))
DeleteStopping by Elizabeth. Nice post! I, too, am sort of wondering what's next for me. 2012 is a big year where my youngest goes to all day kindergarten and suddenly I have people asking me if I'm going back to work full time. The catch is that my part time job is on soft (grant) money and may be running out. So do I look for a full-time job? Stay where I am? I'm trying to rest in the Lord and trust. Everytime I try to plan or worry about it, I just feel stressed. And then I get mad because certainly God knows what's better for me than I could ever think of on my own! We'll see...
ReplyDeleteWe go through so many transitions. Sometimes, we don't think about it and just move along day by day. But other times, we still go about the business of life, but are more thoughtful and mindful of our existence and our future, where we are now and where we are heading. I am purposefully looking at the future and trying to see the excitement of what could be, rather than mourning the stage of life (child rearing) that is nearly over, or being fearful or stressed (which are more normal for me).
DeleteNot retirement, but maybe Australia along the way.
ReplyDeleteSleep sounds heavenly right about now!
ReplyDelete