Will the Words Still Come?

Today I’m halfway through my 30-day blogging challenge. It was fun and novel at first, blogging every day. Like I’d put on skinny jeans or a trendy scarf for the first time or decided to “go vegan.”

15 days later, it’s still fun. It’s become automatic that after work every day I come to a coffee shop to blog. Or on the weekend I go out and I know I can’t come home until a blog is posted. I’ve especially enjoyed combining the blogging with photographs I intentionally take.

Intentional. That’s the key, here. Blogging every day has made me more intentional when, to be honest, I’ve grown increasingly apathetic about life.

Relationships. Support groups. Physical fitness. Even my favorite TV shows — dearest readers, I’m like 6 episodes behind on Once Upon a Time. What is wrong with my life right now?!

Some days, blogging every day has “gotten old.” Am I running out of things to say? Am I being repetitive? If nobody comments, does anyone really care?

While I’m confident the first 14 days of November have produced 14 posts of varying quality, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that even on days when I had no clue what to blog about, simply sitting down and being intentional with the task produced something.

I’ve never sat down to scratch my head or set my head down for minutes or hours at a time, crying to the heavens for a muse to infuse me with words that would alter a reader’s political leaning or theological interpretation or, more aptly, make you like me more.

The words just came. I sat. I typed. And the words came.

I really hope this month-long challenge-turned-experiment has implications for other areas of my life. That if I simply show up, the metaphorical words might come there, too.

If I show up to the gym, I will have a solid workout.

If I show up in my relationships, I will relate.

If I show up with Jesus — in prayer, in Scripture, in song — He will meet me.

The frustrating thing about all the little things is that they feel, well, little. What on earth difference is it going to make if one afternoon a week I change out of my work clothes for workout clothes? What difference will it make if I shoot one faraway friend a text when what I really need is his physical presence?

What difference will it make if I say, Hey Jesus, remember me? when He supposedly already does?

But goshdarnit that intentionality across all areas of life really adds up. I can’t even imagine what I’d feel like right now if I’d worked out every day for the last 15 days. Or texted a friend every day for the last 15 days. Or cried out to Jesus that I feel alone and don’t know where this new life in Asheville is even meant to go every day for the last 15 days.

If the words come when I sit down to blog every day, won’t they come in other ways too? One wavering step at a time?

This is Day 15 of #MakeNovemberTolerable. Keep checking back every day this month for new stories and discoveries of beauty where beauty may be hard to find.

27 Comments
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Kevin Zimmerman 16 November 2016
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Ah, yes! This is well written and is a challenge for me as well. Remembering that the little moments/tasks can (and do) add up to make a larger end result.

naturgesetz 16 November 2016
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Just showing up is really important. That’s a good thought. I’m glad that you’re continuing to show up for us on this blog. Even when I don’t comment, I’m always glad to see you’ve posted.

Kevin Browne 16 November 2016
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………still reading, still caring, still loving these daily posts Tom ?❤️?