Earnestly Seeking the Eternal

This post is by Jen Shultz.

As silly as it sounds, I am often shocked at how quickly time passes. Year over year, as we age, our time moves more swiftly because it is divided amongst so much more than in our youth. Summer days seemed to stretch on forever as latch key kids waiting for a parent to get home so we could go play kickball in the field behind our house with the neighbor kids. 

I look back at all the ways my time and energy has been gradually split—high school and being able to drive, college and spreading my wings, marriage and having children, actively raising those tiny humans to be contributing members of society as adults, and the diagnosis of a chronic illness. Then, we had a pandemic, a cancer diagnosis, a wedding and multiple graduations. Now, we are building a home and planning for more graduations and the birth of our first grandchild along with still watching those tiny humans become not tiny and take on the world. Life is busy. 

This is true for almost everyone I know. A recent phenomenon hyped a culture of hustle, specifically as it related to women in businesses of their own or in climbing the corporate ladder. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with hustling, this movement valued people having no balance in their personal lives in order to be a success in their professional lives—be that an executive, a small business owner, or even a Pinterest perfect mom and wife. 

Life IS busy enough without standards that are impossible to reach. It can be even busier if you value that chaos over stealing away quiet moments to show that the temporal is just that, temporary. When we focus so much of our attention on a singular goal, there is a greater chance that we stop earnestly seeking the eternal. 

So, what does that earnest seeking look like? 

It will be different for each of us. For me, the stormy sea that my life often travels is quelled by meeting with God regularly—multiple times a day. Specifically, having time first thing each day to really dig into my Bible, to pray, and to share with someone what God has laid on my heart for that day. Starting my day this way allows me to face the challenges that will inevitably come knocking at my door. I know who goes before me as I walk paths that have felt impossible to overcome. For the Great I AM, there is nothing but possibility. 

My hustle these days is toward the cross, friends. Take the time, better yet MAKE the time to spend with God daily. When I tell you that I am far more successful with this approach than I ever was at girl bossing, I mean it. Schedule that meeting, be it 5AM or 10AM. Set aside the time for you and for God. Make it a priority and see what sort of shift you find in your hustle. Odds are good that you will see a pace that feels more peaceful and a life that follows suit. 

Jen is a small town, Oklahoma girl married to a superhero. Together, they are raising a family on second chances, shiplap, and a shoestring. She is a firm believer in grace, organization, and efficiency. She finds great satisfaction in taking broken items and giving them new life, likely because that is exactly what God did for her. She over uses the word shine, exclamation points, and emojis. Jen calls her children her greatest accomplishments. A natural born encourager and armchair warrior, she is learning to redefine her mission field and make the most of each day she is given. She has recently been promoted from breast cancer warrior to breast cancer survivor. She’s chronically ill and chronically positive- not necessarily in that order. She is learning to practice perseverance over perfection and longs for the day she gets to see her grandparents and Jesus’ face. Until then, she is just looking for Grace in the Grind.

Photo by Anna Dziubinska on Unsplash