For Such A Time As This

When was the last time you woke up and greeted the morning with a simple “Thank you?” Thank you for the fact you are breathing…you are alive! …You have been given another day in which to participate. …One more chance to make a difference in this world. …Another day for a “Do over.” Do overs are great because they are another chance to improve, correct, and do better. Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better you do better”. So true!

Ok, you are reading this, so we’ve established you are breathing. Fantastic! Now, go look in the mirror. Resist the urge to find all your flaws. We’re all guilty of pointing out the pesky little crow’s feet around our eyes, the dark circles that seem to appear overnight , the receding hair line, grey roots showing that only L’Oréal can help with and anything else we tend to find wrong or flawed. The fact is the person staring back at you is a Masterpiece. Yes, I said Masterpiece. Everything you have been through in your life so far, I like to think of as colored thread. Each thread represents a day in your life. Some days the thread is bright yellow or blue representing something beautiful just happened. Some days they are dark brown or even black. Those are the days where struggle or sadness is present. Regardless of the color, each day your thread is weaving away creating the tapestry of your life. On a recent visit to Italy, I was admiring a beautiful tapestry someone had created. I looked at the back of it and stood in amazement. I was surprised that something could look so beautiful on one side and look like a conglomerate of threads with no design on the other. Yet, there I was looking at a masterpiece. Something that took time to development. Something that had many colors represented throughout specifically in order to create its beauty. No doubt the artist had moments of exhaustion, doubt, fear, and being overwhelmed. I also believe there were moments of great joy and satisfaction over the accomplishment and result. A masterpiece. A work of art.

I believe on the day we were born it was “For such a time as this.” It’s no accident that you made your entrance into this world on the exact day and year you were born. I’ll be bold and say, I also believe you were given something special to share with the world that only you possess. Unfortunately, we so often get caught up in the dark threads of life and forget just how unique and valuable we really are. We discount our gifts and talents that come naturally for us. We come up with excuses as to why we can’t accomplish our dreams. So, we keep day-after-day choosing the dark threads to weave, mixing from time-to-time a bright color hoping to bring some joy or contentment into our lives.

Stop looking at the back of the tapestry. Stop making excuses as to why you’re not stepping into your greatness. You have been given this day to live out your destiny…your calling. This day was meant to be lived to the fullest. Yes, it’s inevitable there will be moments when dark threads are woven. I understand the pain of loss and the devastation of shattered dreams. But I also know the joy that comes from greeting the new day with “Thank you.” Thank you that even in the darkness, the sunshine is coming soon. After a raging storm, if you watch closely, you will eventually see a break in the clouds. The blue sky starts to peek out from behind and soon the sun appears.

This I know for sure. Just like we all had a beginning, we all have an ending. Until that moment, there are thousands and thousands of life threads to be woven each day. You are unique in all the world. You have gifts that people desperately need. You have ideas and dreams that can change outcomes and lives. You have a destiny or calling or whatever you want to call it but, it’s real. It’s never too late to activate a ”Do over.” Some of my greatest blessings and accomplishments have come when I have slowed down long enough to recognize that I’m a bit off course from where I know I should be. Unlike your iPhone there is no autocorrect. You have to take action! Yes, muster up the courage, strength, and gumption to change the thread in the needle from dark to something bright and beautiful. Then weave away, my friend, weave away like there’s no tomorrow! I can promise you this. You will be amazed at the lives you are able to touch and make a difference in. You will develop a sense of gratitude for the blessings received that show up often. You will find a peace that surpasses all understanding in those dark moments. You will shine bright knowing that you are living your best life destined for something great…living your life’s purpose.

When at the end of your life, you stand looking at the back of your life’s tapestry wondering how in the world anything could have come for this mess, you get to walk around to the front and stand in awe at the Masterpiece you have created. You were always destined for something wonderful. So, take a moment right now and be grateful for the fact you’re alive. Right now, in this very moment “Thank you… for such a time as this”.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of CHOICES Magazine