A thought by Bob Goff, from his book, Dream Big (Kindle Locations 650). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
So, where are you?
Bob says, “I have a silly game I play with myself a dozen times a day when I walk into various rooms. I try to figure out where north is. Try it now: count to three, then point your arm in the direction where you think true north is. Even if you’re in an elevator or a waiting room, in a classroom, just got pulled over by a cop, or are in the dentist chair. Ready? Go. I carry a compass with me in my pocket, but you can check the compass on your phone and see how far off you were. Here’s the point: nobody has it all figured out. With the speed we’re moving, it’s easy to get a little turned around and a couple of degrees off.”
He goes on, “This tees up the next question I have for you: Where are you?
“At first glance, this one seems a little easier to answer. We’re in the line at McDonald’s, stuck in traffic, cramming for a final, itching for a promotion, stuck in a relationship, reading a book. Here’s what I want you to do. Instead of thinking geography, I want you to think biography. Figuring out where you really are is a big part of discovering who you really are right now.”
He says, “Life can be delightfully wonderful, and it can also be punishingly difficult. I won’t keep it a secret for the end of the book. If you want to fast-track your ambitions, get real about where you are right now. If you want to get in the race, you need a starting line. The only way you can establish the beginning of your journey is with brutal honesty. If you’re in a huge situational crack, acknowledge it. Call it what it is. It stinks. It’s unfair. It’s dumbfounding. If you feel like you need to, scream into your pillow or punch a wall—just figure out why. (Actually, don’t punch the wall. You’ll just freak everyone out, break your hand, and need to replace a lot of drywall. Get a counselor; it’ll work out better for everyone.)
He then says, “Every single person is somewhere. I know that seems like an obvious statement, and it is in one respect. But how many people really know where they are in their lives? Figuring it out is where it gets real. The ironic thing is that most of us already know the deeper answer, but we’re afraid to say it out loud. I’m in my addiction. I’m coasting in my marriage. I’m selling myself short and taking the easy route. I’m afraid I’ll be discovered. For me the answer often is, I’m going so fast and doing so much I’m missing the more important things I could be sharing with my friends and family.
“So, here’s your moment. Where are you? Be courageous. Figure it out, own it, then write it down or say it out loud. Have a friend take you to Starbucks, make them pay, and have three minutes of authenticity together. Tell someone, perhaps even a few people you trust, where you really are. If you can’t find the words, slip them the note you wrote. We need to tell people where we really are so they can meet us there. Tell God, too, and for Pete’s sake, shoot straight. Don’t green screen your life or airbrush your circumstances to make them look different than what’s really happening. God already knows—He’s been waiting in the garden and wants you to get honest enough with yourself and with Him to just say it. Besides, He likes to hear the sound of your voice. Use it and tell Him. Once we figure out where we are, He can lead us from there.”
And that is what we really want, isn’t it?
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