dont lose yourself

I forget this everyday. I lose myself. Now that might sound really silly but with a job in the real world outside of college I am seeing how easy it is to lose yourself. So how do I lose myself?

Well, I eat, breath, sleep, and live lacrosse. My job is NOT a 9-5 job. Sometimes I have practice at 6am, sometimes I have practice at 9pm, sometimes I get calls from my players at 12:30am needing help....I do not have a 9-5 job. It is so relational and I love that, I love people which can be a good thing and a bad thing. I really do thrive off of building relationships with others, diving into who they are and what drives them but this also causes me to be a people pleaser in which I sometimes seek the approval of others rather than the Lord.

One of my best friends Bekah Gilliam warned me, I remember her saying..."Take the time to do the things you love, the things you enjoy, the things that make you you. Do these things outside your work environment, if you dont you will lose yourself." These were her exact words..I remember them clearly and they are so wise!

I was convicted because someone recently asked me: what are the things you like to do besides lacrosse? And it made me stop. I couldnt think of anything, because all I see right now is lacrosse. So Im thinking now...the things I love to do:

-painting, Im not great but I love having a canvas and painting things that I see
-taking really long walks while praying or listening to music
-swinging
-reading fictional books
-laughing
-playing pickup basketball
-being outside
-singing
-playing with kids

I'm sure there are more, but these are just some. The point of this post is to tell everyone who might be close to graduation and moving on to new things: Don't lose yourself. The Lord has created all of us differently to enjoy different things and to meet with him in different ways. Don't let the busyness of your life distract you from being you.

From a recent blogpost by one of my best friends, Lindsay Owens:

Why have I not written in so long?Because my old way of life is creeping back in. And its not okay..... But because I am forgetting what its like to rest in the Lord. I'm numbing my heart to my need for rest. My identity is so easily wrapped up in accomplishing, in having a full schedule..... There is a difference in giving way to busyness, and giving your life away out of an overflow of Christ's love.... I get lost in doing this job, in connecting with people and talking about God and listening to the hearts of others.

I would say this also sums my life up right now. Don't let your job or the busyness of your life distract you from our main focus which should be Christ. As long as we fix our eyes on Christ he will give you the strength to give your life away(do your job well) out of an overflow of Christ's love. Give yourself time away from your job to do the things that God has created you to do whether it be playing an instrument, hiking, or spending time with friends. All if these things are ways to meet and rest in the Lord...Dont compartmentalize. I worship God well by going to a nearby park and swinging while listening to my "Need God" playlist on my ipod. I feel so close to Him when I am there. Give yourself time away everyday to spend time with God however you need, sometimes its reading through His word, sometimes its taking a walk, sometimes its painting a picture. So don't lose yourself, don't give way to busyness. Be who you are and who God has created you to be!