As I look back on September, I realize it was a pretty full month of HOPE showing up in various forms.
HONORABLE LIVING
As our church has been going through Exodus, I’ve been learning some truths in a fresh way. Perhaps one of the biggest has been looking at the Ten Commandments in the context in which they were given.
They were given to newly freed slaves — people who had been conditioned to look out for themselves, who had lived in a society with multiple gods, and who longed for a happier, better life.
The commandments spoke directly to things they had experienced in Egypt, and God was giving them a new way to live. No longer would there be the same need to covet, to be confused about multiple gods, or to dishonor heritage. The commandments were, in many ways, a pathway into freedom.
Interestingly, the greatest commandment Jesus shared is not one of the Ten Commandments. That doesn’t make the Ten Commandments any less honorable. Rather, Jesus’ way fulfills the law in the same spirit of freedom in which the commandments were first given.
ONGOING LEARNING
One lesson this month: life doesn’t always go the way you hope or plan.
There were a couple of external situations where my heart was heavy for those involved. We also had our own, much less serious, setbacks in the form of changed plans and illness that caused us to slow down and give ourselves time to heal.
In the process, we had to reschedule a variety of things, which I honestly found disappointing. But it also helped me learn more about how I deal with FOMO, why a sense of place matters so much to me as an aesthetically inspired creative, and how living within a “freedom within framework” mindset is necessary for this current season of life — personally and, in many ways, in society as well.
I’ve also been learning how to use Chat more efficiently, and we’ve been developing some “Life Recently” cartoon graphics that people seem to enjoy.
POWER SKILLS: LISTENING
I’ve had a project in development for a long time, and we’re finally reaching the finish line.
It has gone through multiple iterations, and what helped most was workshopping it with the group we’re creating it for. We walked through the experience step by step and listened carefully to their concerns and ideas.
In the process, as they also listened to us, they gained a better understanding of how the backend works, while we gained a clearer understanding of the places where the experience was confusing to them.
Now we’re almost ready to announce the finished product — something we believe will be a win-win for both sides.
EVERYDAY ENJOYMENT
In late August and early September, we were able to spend a week in our “second place” of Charleston — this time in Mount Pleasant.
We made it to the beach several times, something we hadn’t done in quite a while. I also spent some time working from my client’s headquarters, which always helps me feel more personally connected to the business and team in that area.
The week had some challenges, including my own busy mind, but it was also a great opportunity to be near the ocean and to realize again how much my husband and I are both drawn to water and natural surroundings.
When I started this blog, I felt dry.
But Chat helped me remember the various experiences, lessons, frustrations, and joys that had filled the month.
Turns out, it was quite a full one after all.