Monday, September 28, 2009

Lifestyle adjustment

When Mark and I first moved to Mexico City it was a major lifestyle adjustment for me. The city is huge and congested. Traffic is a nightmare. Traffic laws even more of a nightmare. The pace of living is very different from how it is in Houston. 

I live by lists. I make new lists every day and I carry them around with me. I have multiple lists in my purse at any given moment. I love to accomplish something on the list and cross it off. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment; and now, those lists actually serve as my brain! 

So, when we moved to Mexico I would make my "To Do" list for each day, and each new day would be an exercise in complete frustration. I would have ten things that I needed to accomplish that day, I would spend hours out and about in the city trying to accomplish those things, and come home totally exhausted having crossed absolutely nothing off the list! Talk about a learning experience!

God used that time in my life to teach me to relax, to learn to enjoy the beauty of each new day, the beauty of a new culture and people, and to enjoy the small moments and victories. I learned to make a "To Do" list with only one thing on the list and if I accomplished one thing each day I considered that a good day! That's a little different than life in the fast lane in Houston, isn't it?

The funny thing is that I find myself in that same place again! God is reminding me to slow down, appreciate the beauty of each new day, and quit judging my life by how many things I can cross off the list. 

So, here was my list for today:
1. Take a shower
2. Wash the dishes
3. Change the ileostomy bag

I got it done! Wow, my life has changed in the last four months! And that's a good thing!

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works..." Psalm 66:5

6 comments:

  1. Awesome!!! Get out of bed and thank God for another day to enjoy the beauty!! Should be the 1st thing on EVERYONE's list! If you can do that, you have accomplished everything!

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  2. Down here on the farm, when we get that shower out of the way for the week, its a big deal! :)

    I love that scripture!

    May God hold you so close today that you feel His breath!

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  3. Sometimes it is in the simple, and often times "mundane" or "ordinary" things of our daily lives that God reveals the beauty of Him - pure and simple. Just like it is when we uttered those simple words, "Jesus, I believe"...and He replied, "I love you. You are Mine."

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  4. Oh how I hated and loved Mexico City!!! I remember spending hours at Telmex trying to pay the bill for a phone that rarely worked. Ugh. I also remember driving around chasing the water truck so we could get water at the house. :-)

    Ashley Catlett

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  5. my list for today .. root canal .. seriously;
    the Dr could see how tense I was ... I was blssed to see a christian doc today ... told him we prayed a cover over him this morning - he was so pleased; he commented: "I knew when you quieted down - it must have been the valium kicking in" .. I said "no ..that's when I began praying for others ..it took me away from me and the 'circumstances' ..and Laura ..it was you that QUIETED me this morning as I praised God for all he is doing in your life --how your testimony is so richly blessings others faith. BLESSINGS and prayers sister - Jean NC

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  6. One of my most favorite things to do is cross things off of a list!!! Congratulations for getting those three things done today!
    Praying for you!

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