A few years ago I wrote a letter to one of my favourite authors. I told him about my writing, never expecting him to respond, but hoping he would.
He did! Now years later his words still haunt me.
"As for your writing, I hope you continue to dance with the bulls."
These words speak of something I've let go, something I need to remember.
In the last month one of my favorite things has fallen into the background, lying under a layer of dust, forgotten.
My love for writing.
Excuses are like cancer
I've let my writing drift to the back burner. I've also stopped working out. I'm frustrated until I remember, it's not hard to see why these things have slipped into the background.
I am currently in the middle of production on an independent feature film. My roles on set so far have included Producer, Casting Director and 1st Assistant Director.
My plate is pretty full.
However, what I'm realizing is this is becoming an excuse.
When was Excuses invited?
Yes, life is busy. Good busy. I love my life, but I don't want all these wonderful things I'm doing to be shaded with the color of excuses.
If I continue choosing to let the busyness of life become an excuse then I will never get a book published, I will never reach my goal weight & I will never reach any other goal I set for myself.
Why? Because Excuses will rule my life & before I know it, I'll be 50 & wonder what happened.
New goal.
STOP making excuses. There will always be one. "Oh I'm too tired." "I'm sick." "I tried, but it never worked out." "I'll do it later, or tomorrow, or next week."
Excuses are endless and they seek to devour our life, but I don't want to let it anymore.
God has tattooed our hearts
When I read Divergent by Veronica Roth I was inspired to be like the main character Tris, who gets a tattoo of a bird to remind herself of the fears she's choosing to overcome.
I'm not gonna lie, after reading the book I wanted to go out and get a tattoo.
Like now.
Something that would be there for life to remind me of God's call, the one He put deep in my soul & tells me I am created for so much more than this.
That will inspire me when I'm tempted by excuses.
I already know what it will look like. A girl dancing with bulls. Even though those big, ferocious animals scare the crummy out of me, I'm going to choose to dance with them instead of letting my fear get the better of me.
Excuses aren't allowed, only dancing with bulls is welcome.
We can try to silence the call God has placed in us & we can throw every excuse in the book at it, but it'll still be there like a persistent badger, because He's already tattooed it on our hearts.
A forever mark of how we are meant to live.
It's His call to adventure, whispering "I've got bigger plans for you." The moment we let this call to adventure free the more God can show us how limitless we are when He's leading our lives.
With God, nothing is impossible. Especially when we choose to toss Excuses out the door.
New challenge.
Kick Excuses out. Choose the limitless adventure of God's call. Let Him remind me of the dreams & stories he's got me to tell. Put pen to paper. Get my running shoes on & get out the door.
Life is full of tomorrows that will never come.
It's time to run.
Charis Joy Jackson is working as a full-time missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) a non-profit organization in Queensland. During the day she makes movies and in her spare time is writing a novel. www.charisjoyjackson.com
Charis Joy Jackson's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/charis-jackson.html