Taking Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts to where you want to go.

No shortcuts to a life that is truly full.

There are no life hacks. Secrets. Fast tracks.

No 10 steps. Must-haves. Come on, hurry up, go fast.

No, where you are trying to go, towards a life that is truly full, is a long pursuit.

And it can be a hard one at that.

It is found in the mundane moments when you choose future you.

When you’re more concerned about who you’re becoming than who you are today.

Nothing in life that is worth living for, worth pursuing, will come with a snap of the fingers — despite what the world may try to say.

No, it only comes from our simple obedience. The faithfulness we bring right now, to today.

When we show up, again and again and again.

When we keep loving well.

When we keep planting seeds.

When I keep using the gifts inside of me.

When we keep chipping away. Day by day.

When you grow and learn. Make mistakes. Fail. Yet get up once again.

It is found in delayed gratification, for the long game’s sake.

It is in moments we hold our tongue, choosing patience instead.

It’s in the moments we say no, to leave margin in our days, to seek true rest.

It’s in moments when we scrub the dishes after we’re done, not just letting them “soak”.

It’s in moments when we set aside time to fill out another page of our notebook.

It’s in the moments when we get out of bed the first time, not pushing another snooze.

It’s in moments when we choose to forgive the friend we never thought we could.

It’s in moments when we turn our eyes away from our phones to gaze upon a sunset.

It’s found in the moments when we don’t give up on the process of not yet.

So, I’m sorry — if you are looking for a shortcut, you won’t find it. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not anytime soon.

But, honestly, I promise you, you wouldn’t want it any other way. Oh, what beautiful, miraculous, noteworthy, things happen when you become more interested in the long game.