Happy June my fellow Impactors!! It's a rainy day here in Pearland. It's also the first full day I am home alone not Granny-Nannying the kiddos full time. They started a preschool program 3 days a week and I'll have them on Tuesdays. It's funny how you can be happy and sad all at the same time. Change is inevitable and constant. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's scary, sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's all of it. Seasons and transitions can be challenging. They are needed, but challenging.

The thing about seasons is that they change. One thing I really miss here in Texas is the four seasons of New England. Fall is my favorite. We all have some seasons that we love and some we tolerate and some we really don't like. Think back over your life and all the different times or seasons. You could probably name some of your faves and also some you'd rather have a tooth pulled without Novocain than go through again.

I'm dating myself here, but do you remember the movie Cutting Edge? The hockey player, Doug couldn't play hockey any more (end of a season) and became part of a figure skating pair with Kate (start of a new season). One of my favorite parts is when he has to learn to use figure skates. He can no longer use what he's used to, what he's familiar with. The figure skates have a toe pick on them and he keeps falling on his face, because he never had to use them in hockey. Every time he falls, she sarcastically states "Toe Pick".

I think we forget about the toe pick in the new season of our life. There is a learning curve. We've never been here before. We've never had to do that before. It's not what we planned for. It's everything we planned for. It's completely terrifying. It's completely wonderful. We may need to grieve. We may need to celebrate.

Learning to drive..toe pick

Getting married..toe pick

Going to College..toe pick

Having a baby..toe pick

New career path..toe pick

Adjusting to two kids..toe pick

Chronic illness..toe pick
Death..toe pick
Divorce..toe pick
Death of a dream..toe pick
______________..toe pick

Toe Pick....Toe Pick...Toe Pick

For every new thing. For every deeper thing. For. Every. Thing.

Each and every time I've had to adjust to something new or step out into something, I forget that I don't have to be perfect. I forget that I don't have to have it all figured out before I do it.

I mean, come on! I wouldn't have sent me home one day after having my son, Ben. WHAT were they thinking?!?! So many times I have been clumsy, fearful and oh so hard on myself.

We forget to give ourselves space and grace for the toe pick in our situation. We forget that other people need to adjust to the new season in our life. We have a hard time watching others figure out their toe pick or don't have the grace for them to figure it out. One thing I have learned is that no one else can dictate the time frame of how long that takes. We each move, heal, forgive, step into or step out of something at our own pace. Remember to ask for grace, give grace and walk in grace.

The thing about grace is it sounds idyllic, but it's become a "church" word. It's stated all the time, but do we know what that really means? "Just give him some grace, bless his heart." Ok, that may have been a little snarky, or maybe that's the way it sounded in my head. We cannot give grace unless we know what it is and have received it for ourselves.

If you look up grace in the dictionary you will find: elegance of movement; courteous goodwill; polite manner; period of time to pay a debt; prayer before a meal; form of distinction (Your Grace); do honor or credit by your presence; free, unmerited favor of God. The last one is what we focus on when we refer to grace.

Simply put: you have done nothing or could ever do enough to earn God's approval, acceptance, esteem, regard, respect, support, generosity, kindness or favor. His love for you has nothing to do with what you do or don't do.

Hopefully, you have grace for the server at our favorite restaurant when they're swamped or grace for the toddler that has an accident while potty training. Why do we have a hard time extending that to ourselves? Why do we think God is so demanding that He wants us perfect?

I came across this scripture awhile ago. 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (MSG)
"Dear, Dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live open and expansively!"

Resisting change. Resentment. Judgment. Fear. Unforgiveness. All those things keep us living small lives. Don't let the toe pick mess up the opportunity to live open and experience new things, even if they start off hard.

Tonight we are going to watch two of our girls play softball, something they haven't done since high school. I'm going to yell and cheer and totally be THAT mom. So today, for all of us, I'm yelling and cheering for you to watch out for the toe pick and keep going!! Keep getting up and showing up. You are loved.

Have a wonderful, toe pick loving day!!

All my love ~
xo ~ Jodi