Five Ways To Have a Perfect Life

Raise your right hand if everything you planned for your life turned out like you expected.

Now, me, my hand’s not raised. Aaabbbbbsoooooluuutely NOT!

Raise your hand if you’d like to know five ways to have a perfect life.

Yeah, just raise it right on up there!

That’s awesome! I’ve met people… everything they planned turned out perfectly…uuhhmm…maybe? At least I have been lead to believe…

Oh let me see…

some people have AAAALLLL the answers.

But not me…my hand’s not raised…I ain’t go no answers.

(Please don’t tell my mother I said “ain’t”.)

there’s the shepherding you child’s heart series for perfect kids

and date nights and weekends of bliss for perfect marriages

and chasing around with fly swatters and dust mops for a perfect house

and “jars of savings joy” for financial freedom…

and 9 steps to scooting the cheese around to be the ultimate CEO…or something like that

Seriously! I’ve been told (such and such and so and so) if it would have been done differently things would be so much better.

And I don’t doubt that.

I love a quote that our daughter’s band director says, “You make the best choice you can with the knowledge and information you have at the time, and then move forward.”

Isn’t that good?

I really try to remember his words of advice when I’m tempted to look back on a situation with regret.

And besides that…we really don’t give ourselves enough credit for the fact that we and only we can live our lives.

Because we are so busy pleasing and helping others that we get lost in the “mundane of doing”.

And if things don’t turn out the way SOMEONE thinks it should have, well…you didn’t have their information and circumstances, now did you?

OH WAIT!

You came here to read five ways to have a perfect life, didn’t you?

sigh

Come sit by me.

I LOVE a good story.

And I want to hear you tell it

with all your heartfelt expressions

and deep swirling emotions…

…stories of the past…

…stories of your life…

…stories about your kids…

…stories about your marriage…

…stories about your job…

…your mission work…

…your tour of duty…

I just can’t help myself.

I love a good story.

A good story is never lost on me.

I’m anxious to listen.

But for those of you with your shoulders

kinda drooping in defeat,

you’re tired,

worn down,

frazzled actually,

life’s been hard and beat you up quite a bit,

if your dreams didn’t turn out the way you expected…

if your heart has tears

and scars

and your life plans went awry,

and you really don’t know what to say OR how to say it,

and honestly, no one sees your tears or grief…

well my goodness dear,

you STILL have a story worth telling!!!

And I want to hear that too.

You don’t even need to save me a seat or come sit by me.

I’d be willing to stand on a street corner

downtown Indianapolis

in the Autumn sunshine to hear your story.

That story, your story, was written just about you.

There is no one who can be more like you than you.

No one who can tell your story as you do.

Just look at you standing there.

Square your shoulders tall.

You’re a survivor.

An achiever.

And those scars and tears all over your heart,

THEY have written your story.

Each new day is a chance to begin again,

to start over

chart a new path.

It’s an opportunity for the next chapter of your story to be written.

Written just about you …amazing you!

And I honestly can’t tell you how to have a perfect life, but

if you are

1. honest 2. and kind 3 . and make the next best choice 4. and treat others the way you want to be treated 5. and love everyone as much as you love yourself…

…well…your life may not be perfect

but it sure will be lived well.

So tell me your five ways to have a perfect life. And share your story. It is safe here.

You can also follow along on Facebook or on Instagram.

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Psalm 118:24

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.