Just Show Up.

This isn’t about the house.

I’m kind of tired of talking about the house.

Now that we have the major renovations complete and we’re down to things like:

1. Grouting the tile I plastered on the kitchen wall. (Putting that one off for as long as possible.)

Nope..not doing that today.

2. A rail for the the stairway. (IV had an afternoon to work on this the other day BUT…)

No rail…a place for random kid artwork though.

3. A shelving unit to hold my laundry baskets. (Ditto…IV used that afternoon to build King a bed…I mean a second bed…I’m not even sure he knows why he did this.)

At least I (finally) finished the tile in the laundry room so there’s plenty of nice flooring for baskets and other mess.

Anyway, both of us have gotten to the point where if we don’t WANT to do something it fumbles down the list and the more pressing (or fun) things keep us busy enough.

With this being said my “mantra” lately has been, “Just show up.”

I’ve said it to almost all of my personal training clients at the gym, and I’ve said it to myself before some hard running efforts.

The idea is that half the work many times in life is JUST SHOWING UP…

The rest usually flows from there.

However, sometimes it works in reverse. My personal training business is booming at the YMCA, and I’ve had offers to work more outside the home in other ways.

BUT…my kids.

I want to keep homeschooling… (or actually, I believe I’m CALLED to keep homeschooling) so I’ve had to block out the time to “just show up” at home. It hasn’t been easy and still some weeks I’m overwhelmed but making that conscience decision to prioritize my home life has given me peace that I didn’t have before.

It probably looks different for you. It depends on your goals and purposes.

My training clients have hired me because they have fitness goals. For them, “just show up” means just that…put it in your calendar, put your tennis shoes on, and be here. I’ll convince you to do the workout after that, and I’ll encourage you to keep it up when we’re not together. Then you’ll have to show up for yourself.

It’s about commitment and consistency to me. I believe that’s where growth comes from in many areas of life.

…Including spiritually.

Luke 14:15-24

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'”

Jesus has invited us all to eat at His banquet. He offers us the free gift of salvation. He gives us that stirring in our spirit and that longing for something to fill us. He is the Bread that satisfies and the Water that quenches and the Light that lets us see clearly.

All we have to do is show up.

We have to say, “yes,” to Jesus and He takes care of the rest.

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

-Romans 10:9

And beyond that if you’ve already been saved you just have to keep showing up…keep saying yes to Jesus and His mission for you everyday.

We all have goals, we all have purposes for our lives. Let’s make sure we have our priorities straight and we’re at peace with the Lord, and then just keep showing up.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? -Luke 9:24-25

Love God, love others, and keep showing up…if not for your own sake then for the sake of someone else.

What do you need to show up to today?