What'll It Be?

"As soon as the school year starts, I have no life."

A quote from a heavily "involved" friend of mine. The four of us were sitting at a mentor's house, enjoying each other's company and wrapping up the last week of shared time and looking forward to the coming school year. It had been wonderful; full of picnics and talking, Heath Ledger & Chris Hemsworth movies, cheesecake, and simply being in each other's presence. Full of life.

And then begins what some would call drudgery.

Chloe has lacrosse workouts every day starting in October. Her long weekdays don't end with the ringing of a bell. Mental and physical alertness is demanded of her into the evening. Not to mention trying to squeeze in babysitting jobs to keep her Honda full of gas and ready to drive her fellow lax girls to workouts, games, and tournaments.

Isabella couldn't have been happier to make the Varsity cheer squad. She deserved it. Practices, conditioning, fundraisers and community service are what fill her calendar now. And just wait till football season starts. She'll cheer the boys on every Friday night and wake up the next two mornings, slip her swimsuit on and get to lifegaurding.

Mary Claire is not used to boys. No, really. This is her first year in several that she's not attending a private, all-girls' school. I can't imagine the stress. In the midst of her own chaos, MC has single-handedly started a youth worship program at the church her dad pastors at. With the help of the team she's put together, she is changing the way high school students view worship.

When I look at my friend's schedules, I don't see lack of life. In fact, I see just the opposite. I see Chloe's servant heart in her willingness to caravan her team all over the place. I see Isabella's fierce spirit in taking her roll as a leader seriously and not giving up even when it's hard. I see Mary Claire using her musical talent to change the culture she's living in. I see abundant life.

I see a three girls making a very important choice.

I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly. - Jesus

Does Jesus offer us abundant life? Absolutely. But he doesn't say that we will have it. He says that we may.  If we want it. Our Creator has graced us with the greatest dignity of all: free will. We get to choose. In the way that we spend our time, in the responsibilities that we carry, we are allowed a decision.

When I try to do things on my own, I implode. I simply cannot juggle being a student, a mentor, a babysitter, and a friend. Yet those are the roles that have been entrusted to me. To step into those responsibilities and truly live an abundant life, I must trust it to Jesus. I have to decide to let go of my desperate control and allow my Savior to do for me what I can't do for myself.

Live in my passions.
Enjoy the work that I have been given to do.
Invest in healthy friendships.
Serve those around me.
Change the world.
Live abundantly.

Alone, the responsibilities of the day seem like drudgery. At the end of the day, I'm too weary from trying to check boxes that I don't have time to think about anyone else. Other people's burdens are overwhelming; can't you see I don't have time for you? But when I do things in the strength of Jesus, he carries the weight of the day. This opens up every possibility. I have time to invest in those around me. I am equipped to serve those in need. I can dream about what I'd like to do; I am free to pursue what I was meant to do.

So, what'll it be? You get to choose.