"80% of success in life is just showing up!" -Woody Allen
There is is some truth in what Mr. Allen said but I think that is a big overstatement because to my estimation that puts a lot of weight on the other twenty percent. Although, what he said does ring true with me. Matthew 15:29-30 says, "Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all." The passage we just read show us how the people just showed up where ever Jesus was, simply to be near Him. As his reputation grew, crowds gathered, some with high expectations, and some just wanting to see Him for the first time. Jesus was accessible to the people and in truth He was more accessible than they ever thought possible. Jesus did a simple thing for the people, He just showed up.
Some of my best memories with my dad isn't the times when he spent money buying me shoes for basketball or him coaching me in little league. My best memories are the times he took me fishing at my grandfathers pond at his house in Caldwell, Arkansas or the times that my uncle, him, and I would spend saturday's working on a project (usually my broke down Blazer) or bumming around pawn shops and gun stores. My dad did a simple thing: He showed up.
Now, I don't claim to be an expert on it and I certainly have my share of regrets and missed opportunities for not showing up like I should. Too often I allow the demands of my job steal time from them and guys hear me when I say this, it is WRONG! Mind you, sometimes it is unavoidable, but most of the time it is because I have scheduled too much of my time for those other than my family. The expectations of my job have grown as I have moved up and until recently I couldn't see how I could make time for anything or anyone else. If it hasn't been a special occasion then I have allowed work to take top priority.
As the weeks have passed, I have realized that I have to change. Do you need to change? You will never know the things you miss when you aren't there until you start to show up. When you aren't there you miss the small miracles. Spend time with your family and loved ones - for no other reason at all but just to show up and be there. Take my word for it, you will witness things you might otherwise miss and live with the regret for the rest of your life.
There is is some truth in what Mr. Allen said but I think that is a big overstatement because to my estimation that puts a lot of weight on the other twenty percent. Although, what he said does ring true with me. Matthew 15:29-30 says, "Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all." The passage we just read show us how the people just showed up where ever Jesus was, simply to be near Him. As his reputation grew, crowds gathered, some with high expectations, and some just wanting to see Him for the first time. Jesus was accessible to the people and in truth He was more accessible than they ever thought possible. Jesus did a simple thing for the people, He just showed up.
Some of my best memories with my dad isn't the times when he spent money buying me shoes for basketball or him coaching me in little league. My best memories are the times he took me fishing at my grandfathers pond at his house in Caldwell, Arkansas or the times that my uncle, him, and I would spend saturday's working on a project (usually my broke down Blazer) or bumming around pawn shops and gun stores. My dad did a simple thing: He showed up.
Now, I don't claim to be an expert on it and I certainly have my share of regrets and missed opportunities for not showing up like I should. Too often I allow the demands of my job steal time from them and guys hear me when I say this, it is WRONG! Mind you, sometimes it is unavoidable, but most of the time it is because I have scheduled too much of my time for those other than my family. The expectations of my job have grown as I have moved up and until recently I couldn't see how I could make time for anything or anyone else. If it hasn't been a special occasion then I have allowed work to take top priority.
As the weeks have passed, I have realized that I have to change. Do you need to change? You will never know the things you miss when you aren't there until you start to show up. When you aren't there you miss the small miracles. Spend time with your family and loved ones - for no other reason at all but just to show up and be there. Take my word for it, you will witness things you might otherwise miss and live with the regret for the rest of your life.
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