Life and Life More Abundantly
Hello again! I continue to be amazed at how quickly time passes – it feels like it was only Monday yesterday and yet, here we are again! How has your week been? Did you have an opportunity to download the Meaning Of Authenticity Printable worksheet from last week? Be in touch and share what you have learned about authenticity and about yourself! When we share we solidify the learning in ourselves and we also encourage learning in those we share with. Since learning and sharing is what we do here, let’s dig into another piece of the puzzle; life and life more abundantly!
Abundance - Quantity Vs Quality
When you hear the word abundance, what do you think of? Many people automatically think of abundance in terms of finances or material belongings. It is often equated with having a large number of “things. I would love to see the day when abundance begins to be identified in terms of having moments and experiences. As we begin to live our journey from a more authentic place we will begin to move away from a quantity view of abundance to a quality view of abundance.
Abundance Is...
When you think of abundance what immediately comes to mind? Be honest. It is important to understand where we are currently in order to change our thinking on where we are going. For many years, I can honestly say, I didn’t even think in terms of abundance. I felt so stuck in the midst of my mental illness and my journey that I couldn’t apply the term to my life in any shape or form.
Quantity
When I did start thinking about abundance in relation to my life, I began from that place of quantity. In that time, I had many things in relation to work, friends, relationships, and belongings. I could start seeing a thread of abundance in my life. The problem with that thread was that it ran thin and dry in short order. I discovered that I really wasn’t any happier, more content or better off for the quantity of things I had identified in my life. I still felt stuck.
Validity
At that time I even questioned the validity, as a Christian, of seeking an abundant life. Was that what I was supposed to be doing? Did the Lord intend that I would spend time seeking out things? In light of the dry, thin line that resulted, what was the point?
Life and Life More Abundantly
The Scriptures, though, spoke very clearly about abundant life. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” I understood that Jesus came so I could not just have life, but have it more abundantly; and I wanted everything He had for me. In order for me to have the abundant life He came to give me, I would need to figure out what abundance looked like.
One Hundred Thousand Blessings
In June of 2013 I began an intentional journey to live the abundant life I knew I already had but couldn’t quite put my finger on or put into words. I began my blog, One Hundred Thousand Blessings. This is what I wrote at the very beginning of it all:
“Why One Hundred Thousand Blessings? Why a blog?
As I walk through yet another valley in my journey through life, I find myself in a season of blessing and thanksgiving. Odd, you may think….how can one be in the valley and be blessed? What I’ve come to learn as I enter my 39th year is that I’ve been looking at things from a distorted perspective.
Aiming for the mountaintop has left me weary and disillusioned – striving to attain, gain and maintain. But in His gentle voice and by the leading of His gentle hand, my Heavenly Father has been showing me that my life is a valley life peppered with occasional trips, with Him, to the mountaintop. The valley may sometimes feel narrow, confining, limiting, BUT……when I’m in the valley I walk more closely with the Lord, my Beloved. And it is in that walk, that relationship, that He has begun to show me that the valley is lush, cool, vibrant and full of unexpected blessings.
Perhaps unexpected because my eyes have become blinded with want and have failed to see the One Hundred Thousand Blessings that cross my path each day.
So, welcome to my journey through a Season of unexpected blessings and thanksgiving.
So although I didn’t quite know where I was heading, my very intentional journey to see the blessings in my life led to a most wonderful discovery of the path to abundance.
Quality
In time, I began to understand that quantity had nothing to do with abundance. Abundance couldn’t be determined via numbers of any kind. Rather, abundance was determined in each moment by the quality of the experience at hand. Sometimes it was as simple as stopping to look at a pretty blossom that had pushed its way up through the rocks. The number of moments was never as important as the level of appreciation and impact that the moment had on my everyday life. The other important piece I learned about abundance was that it was directly related to how fully I gave myself to the moment or the experience. When fully engaged, the level of impact and the length of that impact multiplied exponentially.
Where Are You Today?
Where are you on this journey to abundant life?
Are you at the stuck point where abundance is only a word for other people?
Perhaps you can speak about abundance in your life, but when you do, it comes from a place of quantity.
You might be at the point where you are questioning whether God even intends for you to be seeking abundance.
Maybe you have latched onto John 10:10 as the promise it is – that you were called to life and life more abundant.
You may already be on the journey to discovering the quality of moments and experiences in your life; already beginning to understand what abundance can look like and that it can be walked out in the everyday of life.
No matter where you find yourself today there is a way forward.
For those who are seeking, latch onto the path of others to find your hope.
To those who are part way there, I say, “keep trekking”.
Those of you who are well on your way, take the time to stop and share your journey with others.
We never quite understand the impact our story can have on those around us. Our words may be the light for the next step on the path that someone else needs to take. The story we share may be the hand that reaches out and carries someone else into the journey. Sharing allows us to be real, with ourselves and with others and encourages authentic living.
My Desire for You!
It continues to be my desire to seek out the blessings in my life that are all around me, every day, in the valley, as well as on the mountain top. It is also my desire to share my story and be the light and the hand in this journey that encourages others to take the first step and then the next step. Abundant living takes courage. It takes courage because it comes from a place of authenticity. Being real takes courage because it requires being willing to step outside of the box that others, and we, have placed ourselves in. Today if you feel like you don’t have the courage to take that first step, that’s OK. I have that courage for you and I will believe in you until you are able to believe in yourself!
What's Next?
Take a step. One small step will eventually lead to an entire journey! Start by becoming more aware of the blessings in your life. Put them in writing and when the days are hard you can go back and look at the things that are going well and the many blessings you can be thankful for.
Click on the highlighted words to download your free AttitudeofGratitudeMindMap to help record your journey.
What I Know
Are you ready to tackle abundant living? The journey will be filled with valleys and mountains and rocks and flowers, but I can promise you, it will be all worth it. I have walked the valleys and stood high on the mountain peaks and the views, from either angle, are breathtaking!
Until Next Time
If you are interested in more Devotional reading, head over to my Facebook Page where you will find a Weekly Devotion early every Monday morning. Click the button below to go directly to the Weekly Devotions.
Until next time,
From my heart to yours!
laurie