dailydatewithgod

The western world has some clear expectations of what it means to be a success.  Every family and culture has a way of either directly or indirectly conveying the messages of what is acceptable and successful. Every where we turn there is yet another measurement that must be met to be considered successful.  Plus the notion that one is not successful is often defined as failure.  Where is the space for those who travel an unworn path?  Success in the world’s terms is based on what is known.  What if God has already deemed us successful?  What if the fact we are breathing means we are still here and therefore a success?  What if a day is spent not getting one item done on the to do list but many instances of looking people in the eye?  In our drive for success we have become so hyper-focused on outside circumstances as the measurement of success.  I like having degrees, job promotions, relationships, a nice car, and my opinions valued just as much as anyone.  The difficulty is that an outside measurement of success is very fleeting and highly dependent on context. Compared to someone living in rural India with no running water, I am hugely successful because I have a bathroom in my apartment.  Compared to someone living and owning a seven bedroom home on the Pacific coast I have failed to make my way out of my one bedroom rental in the San Fernando Valley.  Maybe our success is in our willingness to open our hearts a little bit more today than yesterday.  Perhaps we can acknowledge it is a successful day when despite feeling stressed and irritated because of lack of sleep we didn’t yell at anyone.  God’s view of success is growth and expansion of love.  God has complete expectation of success for all God’s creation because it is inherent in us to grow in love.  My simple prayer when I am stuck in the outer definitions of success or failure is “God, how do you see this?”

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