empty praise

I am a passionate person, and I wouldn’t say that I am reserved, but I am also a grown woman who doesn’t usually jump up and down to show my excitement or enthusiasm for something in particular. “Jump up and down good” is my reference point since that is what I see/hear/feel my four year old do quite often to express his complete delight at ________ (insert: approval of a household wrestling match/a trip to the beach/being told he gets to spend the night at Grandma’s house, etc.))

I see it because there is flailing involved. I hear it because squeals and shouts accompany it.  I feel it because we have hardwood floors and the place shakes when 35 pounds of boy jump.

So it doesn’t necessarily have to be jumping up and down for everyone, but it’s something like that, some sort of physical, mental, emotional take-over of your whole being that represents you agreeing (in all of those ways) with something else outside of you. For me “jump up and down” good means it’s really, really good. The kind of good that gets me so excited that I want to share it and make the floors shake so you can know that I mean good.

Wow, so that’s a lot of build up, right???

Right.

But see, I’ve had two jump and down good moments in the last 24 hours and they both came from something I read. So since I read them, I can share them, which is what I am dedicating this post to…I guess it’s my way of squealing and shouting “YOU’VE GOT TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT THIS AND ISN’T IT PROVOKING AND THOUGHTFUL AND INSPIRING AND AFFIRMING…” and all that kind of stuff. Yes, ALL CAPS because remember, I am jumping up and down.

(Deep breath, exhale….whew.)

Yes. I really like reading and I especially like reading things that stir up my brain and heart simultaneously. For me, this type of convergent inspiration is more rare than I would like it to be. (Cheers to smart people who can say things that need to be said, for starting conversations and for taking time to think about and then articulate some truths really well!)

First one: “Is Motherhood a Calling?” over at The Mommy Revolution.

Second one: “Small Wonders” by Tom Sine over at Leadership Journal.

One last thing. I know that these two articles meant a lot to me because of what I have been spending a great deal of time thinking about as well as writing about lately. As I enter my seventh year of being on staff at our church, I have never been so passionate and ready for something to unleash, some specific conversations to collectively be had, for some bold steps of action and faith to be taken and for some things in our community to be shaken up yet realigned. (And it’s starting, but that’s all for another day’s post.)

So I read the “Small Wonders” article last night (so did my husband) and Nate and I looked at each other with smiles and big eyes and I wanted to jump up and down. It’s inspiring to me when God reminds me that He’s in charge and He’s the one blowing through this place (“this place” being His church, my brain, other people’s brains, other communities, etc…) and I’m excited because I am actually catching some of what He’s saying and doing.

So take that and add to it that today, I shared with one of our pastors my 7 page (10 pt. font, single space except between paragraphs) “Ministry Calling Evaluation” where I was asked to describe the kind of “Call” I have to ministry. It’s a document Nate and I both have been working on (individual papers, though) for the last two months. Heck yeah I talk about being a mom and wife and if a call is to a circumstance/role/vocation or a way of life! So then tonight, I read this post and I had a “jump up and down” kind of moment again.

I don’t expect you to jump and down with me, but that’s the great thing about jump up and down moments. The jumper doesn’t care what anyone else thinks because the jumper is only concerned with the reason for jumping with excitement in the first place.

I hope you have a reason to jump sometime soon. It’s invigorating.

— And here’s a freebie just in case these articles are yawners: I also read the book “Eat Pray Love” (finally) last month. If that doesn’t hit the spot, then I don’t know what else to say. Good luck to you. —