I recently heart adulthood is a never ending perpetual cycle of waiting for life to calm down, then you die.

Is that you? Right now life is busy and hectic, it’s uncertain and stressed, it’s not what you envisioned it being at this stage … but when it calms down, whew doggies look out, you’re gonna live! You’re going to start really living one day. You’ll sit and sip your coffee in pure delight. You’ll have time and energy. You will be proud of yourself and walk with confidence. Oh yes, that day is coming, that day when life calms down and gets better and you can be truly happy, and when it does, you’re going to live!

No you’re not! The very heartbeat of life is a rhythm of ups and downs, when it calms down your ride is over sister. We’re saving up our happy for an imaginary destination in life that doesn’t exist.

Right here, right now, this is where you can live. Yes, this season of life, this one with it’s chaos and messes, disappointments and circumstances far short of perfection, this is where living happens. In the absence of calm is where you find the living.

It’s a nasty ploy of the enemy to convince you that sometime in the future you will have the time, energy and resources to do the things you want to do with your life. When life calms down and things get better … then.

The truth is, we’re living perfectly good days of life in survival mode, in the absence of a crisis. Hey listen to me, that crisis may come and you may need to just get through it, but if your life is free of an absolute undeniable crisis today, then you better be living!

The enemy’s plan is to kill, steal and destroy. Never lose sight of that. Has he been killing your happiness, stealing your joy, destroying your TODAY with a focus on another day? Oh how he tricks us into missing today because of the worries of tomorrow, or missing today because of the hopes that somehow a future tomorrow will be better than the one we ended up with today.

Ephesians 5: 15-16 says “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity.”

How do fools live? They miss opportunities? They don’t show up for life. Be careful how you live and make the most of every opportunity. Today is full of opportunities … what will you do with them? What if your response to today’s opportunities determine tomorrow’s offering? Yes, what if future opportunities are earned through using, enjoying, and savoring that which has already been given to us?

I used to think if I didn’t intentionally live my life, then my life just wouldn’t be lived. Now I know that’s not true. We will still live. We will still exist. Your life WILL just live itself. It will go on with or without your intentional effort. And here we are, these miraculous beings who are the masterpieces of the almighty creator, just letting life live itself.

We’re just here, but not fully here. We’re showing up, but not bringing the best of us. Where is the best of us? Buried under layers of regret, guilt, shame and laziness. Dang it’s hard to even recognize the masterpiece with all we’ve layered on.

But, it’s in there. Our potential is still in there. Our destiny is still available. Our purpose still calls. And if we’re breathing today, that means we have an opportunity to show up and start really living. On purpose. Intentionally. Like we mean it!

When will we decide we won’t just let our lives live themselves any longer? When will we harness the power our creator has given us and WAKE UP? When will we live like we mean it?

God has given you the power to choose. Choose well. Choose your direction. Choose your attitude. Choose your next stop. Choose your mood. This is your life and you get one shot at this. Show up and live it. On purpose. Intentionally. The desires of your heart are clues to lead you to your purpose. Get yourself unstuck and go after it.

Today, give yourself permission to live a BIG Life. Yes, permission. You have permission to cut the strings, stop holding back, move on, quit playing little and admit that maybe you’re actually meant for great things, and it’s still possible. Maybe you’re actually capable of so much more. And maybe today you can be happy exactly where you are and do the things you said you would do someday. Because today is some day. Here you are. This is your chance.

One day life will calm day. Yes it will. The moment after that final breath is real calm. I hope you’re not waiting for that. I hope you will decide to take this day with it’s ups and downs, it’s imperfections, it’s stresses and messes, it’s busy schedule and endless demands, it’s disappointments and surprises, and LIVE IT. I mean live the heck out of it. Because really, this is all you’ve got.

I’m sitting in a room full of women who have stories. Some are widows who have lost their husbands, some are broken because their husbands were unfaithful, some are still healing from the pain of an unimaginable childhood, some have lost children, lost jobs, or lost their happiness, or lost themselves. But they’re here today seeking to live. Seeking to show up in the middle of their reality and be faithful with the cards they have been dealt.

They’re going to play their hand … will you? This is what our God expects of us.

When will life calm down … when we die.
When will we live … today!