Dear Summer,

I had so many plans heading into you. It was going to be my summer of adventure and joy!

I had trips planned.

I had a list of people to visit and relationships to cultivate.

I had projects to accomplish.

I had a brand new job to pursue.

I had a new life to discover with new people and new purpose.

But as each day passed, I eliminated something from the list. Not because I accomplished it, but because I was realizing that to make room for the great, I often have to let go of what is good.

“I was realizing that to make room for the great, I often have to let go of what is good.”

It’s like the clearance spots at Target. All the good little lovely things are on the end caps so the store can make room for more great  inventory. I can spend my money grabbing everything that was once good or I can wait to find something great.

It’s an interesting lesson to learn.

The list of places I wanted to visit was long and doable in a teacher’s summer. And all of them would have been good to discover with my Sweet V, alone, or with a friend.

All of the people I wanted to see and spend time with were good.

All of the projects were good.

The job offers were good.

But all of this good in my life would get in the way of the GREAT God had in store for me.

It was great to watch my girlie go with the flow of the day.

It was great to connect with her and not drag her to the good places I wanted her to experience when her 7 year old self just wanted to have a lazy summer with her cousins. I realized I will never see a summer where we my sister and I  were under one roof  with our parents having breakfast and water play and bike riding and movie nights and impromptu park trips altogether. So my plans to explore are put on hold until next summer and that alone was great.

Being in my hometown had me wanting to spend good times with my old friends. But connecting deeper daily with my siblings, siblings in law, and my parents was great.

The idea of sleeping in and relaxing each day was good, but getting up and going to my yoga mat to journal by the woods gave me a clarity and focus that was great.

The job opportunities and ideas to jump into my future were good. But the door that opened to take me right back to the school home I have had for 10 years was great.

The thought of making a life at my childhood home would have been good, but the future that God wants for me isn’t in my comfort zone and stepping out of that means stepping into great.

So thank you, Summer of Joy, for guiding me out of what was good in my life to open up the space for great. There will never be another summer like you again.

Sincerely,

The New Me