Dessert Road Trip at 8pm, WHAT???

Somehow spontaneity fades away as we get older and routine living becomes our norm. When we are young we chase the butterflies in the backyard letting the day unfold as it will. Oh the adults in our life keep us scheduled with soccer, guitr lessons and ballet but in our own time we can sit for hours with Legos or get lost in the digging of a hole in the dirt. Somewhere between school and raising kids  we become calendar slaves and lose our in the moment adventures. The routine of life settles in as we surround our days with that Tuesday night tv must watch, the grocery store shop on Wednesday afternoons to take advantage of double coupons and Friday night pizza night. Life becomes comfortable in its predictability.

It seems that flexibility is becoming more possible in this technological age. Between streaming your favorite show so you can watch it when you want to watch it, food pickup, and Alexa keeping track of our ‘to do’ list.   We can all say yes if something better comes up without missing out on our normal Monday Night Football. Now if we can muster the gumption to say yes in the moment and get off the couch. Breaking free of our routines is mental as well as physical. There are a few friends in my life that say yes anytime a great idea pops into their heads or they get that phone call asking if they can ride along with a friend somewhere. I long to be that person but more often than not I turn down the opportunity and just rest in my routine. Ron is good at grabbing life and getting out on the road. I want to be the yes person more often.

For a few years I have been wanting to have some young ladies that I knew from school and Young Life come join me ‘routinely’ and serve them dinner. Most have had great losses in their lives. Too much heartbreak for only being in their twenties. Many are Moms now and are caught up in their own responsibilities and roustines. God put it on my heart to serve them, honor them, just spend time with them. After years of procrastination I said yes and we have begun getting together. It is starting out small but we hope others will say yes and join us soon. What I should have realized is that I am getting so much more out of these visits than I give. It is such a joy to connect with them as adults rather than teens. I have to admit my halo is getting tarnished as I openly share with them more about who I am than they knew a decade ago.

Last night after eating hot dogs and baked beans I served them Pop Tarts for dessert. I am an excellent cook!!! We started talking about our favorite desserts and the next thing I knew we were in the car driving thirty miles to get the perfect tiramisu. I am thankful to Ron for staying to watch Blue Bloods with my Mom and giving us the keys to his Blazer. This unexpected bolt from routine was glorious. What a delight my saying yes to this new part of my week. I adore the connections we are creating in our ‘yes’ attitudes.

I can’t wait to see where life will take me if I only set my routines aside and dive in to the spontaneous.

In Him,
Joyful
2-27-19