You can do this!
As I write today, I am sitting overlooking the fertile green grass where cattle are grazing on the land that, 12 months ago, was in recovery mode from the devastation of the bushfires.
Phil and I have spent the last month moving all our worldly possessions from the coast to the bush. As anyone who has moved house knows, moving is an exhausting process. Knowing what to keep and what to throw or give away can be quite daunting and, to be effective, you have to be ruthless. I’ve had to distance myself emotionally from some furniture my dear mum purchased years ago that greeted me on my return from the Territory almost three years ago. One in particular, a little cupboard with hearts on the front, had become a haven for games and puzzles that little Master A checked out every time he came through the door of Ma and ‘Bop’s’ home.
There was also a lovely couch that we’d bought when we first came back, which signaled to us that we’d returned home to create a home that would be a place for others to gather and share life, food, and friendship. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be in this particular place, and the couch had to go. But it has gone to the home of a dear friend who has been a great support to me, so I know it’s in good hands.
This last week has been one of frantic activity - clearing out the house, moving to the farm, and finding a place to store everything until we can build a little home. (My dear mother-in-law’s verandah has now become home to all our worldly possessions!) It was one of those weeks where I felt like the little engine that was puffing up the hill, repeating, “I think I can. I think I can!”
Sometimes, you look back over your life and think about what you could or should or would have done differently had you known then what you know now. We all have regrets about some decisions we made and the things we did (or didn’t) do. But I think it is more important to celebrate the achievements and the “I did its!”, and I just want to encourage you to look forward to what you can do, not back at what you didn’t! I’m no-one special, and, as the old saying goes, if I can do it, anyone can!
So, today I am celebrating the fact that I did it! I wrote the book, traversed the self-publishing mountain, and launched a website, all in a 12-month period. And the decision I made back in 2013 to pursue a degree in early childhood and primary education (something else I never thought I would accomplish) turned out to be invaluable in unexpected ways. Learning to navigate and set up websites, produce colourful power points, communicate with teams on Zoom and other platforms, and other useful skills have all contributed to my ability to do what I never thought I’d do.
Many life-changing goals that I achieved over the last ten years fell into the ‘I can’t do it’ category, especially the house-parenting adventure, but, with God, all things are possible. So, if you have a dream in your heart lingering in the ‘too-hard basket’, let me encourage you today, release your creative gift and let it fly!
YOU CAN DO IT!
Until next time…