Only Love Today Copyright © 2017 by Rachel Macy Stafford
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ZONDERVAN Only Love Today Copyright © 2017 by Rachel Macy Stafford Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 ISBN 978-0-310-35025-5 (signature edition) ISBN 978-0-310-34949-5 (international trade edition) ISBN 978-0-310-35029-3 (audio) ISBN 978-0-310-34675-3 (ebook) Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Stafford, Rachel Macy, 1972-author. Title: Only love today: reminders to breathe more, stress less, and choose love / Rachel Macy Stafford. Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, [2017] Identifiers: LCCN 2016043333 | ISBN 9780310346746 (hardcover) Subjects: LCSH: Christian life. Classification: LCC BV4501.3 .S723 2017 | DDC 248.4—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016043333 Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other— except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design, hand lettering, and illustration: Kristi Smith, Juicebox Designs Interior design: Kait Lamphere Back cover image: Amy Paulson First printing January 2017 / Printed in the United States of America 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 4 1/10/17 8:56 AM CONTENTS Introduction . 9 I . Spring: Opening Up . 15 Renewal, New Habits, and Growth II . Summer: Shining Through . 89 Authenticity, Connection, and Acceptance III . Fall: Wrapping In . .. 167 Gratitude, Grace, and Awareness IV . Winter: Holding On . 241 Hope, Encouragement, and Introspection Conclusion: Looking Down . 319 Epilogue . 323 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 7 1/10/17 8:56 AM I S pring: Opening Up Renewal, New Habits, and Growth 1 . One Different Element . 20 2 . Firsts . 22 3 . Vow to Soften . 23 4 . Time Is on My Side . 26 5 . You Have Today . 28 6 . What Would Love Do? . 29 7 . Creating a Sun Delay . 31 8 . When I Stopped Trying to Change You, You Changed Me . 33 9 . I Am My Response . 35 10 . Let’s Start Over . 37 11 . Dig In . 39 12 . A Sign of Love . 41 13 . If It’s Love . 43 14 . See What Is Necessary . 44 15 . Three Questions to Live by Heart . 47 16 . Undistracted Love . 48 17 . Don’t Wait . 51 18 . Talk Time . 53 19 . What Cannot Be Measured . 55 15 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 15 1/10/17 8:56 AM 20 . Wishing Away Time . 56 21 . Your Number One Fan . 58 22 . Missing More than Life . 60 23 . Not Too Late . 61 24 . When All Is Right with the World . 63 25 . When Love Gets Lost . 65 26 . Why Choose Love? . 67 27 . Save Some Goodness . 69 28 . When to Wait and When to Seize . 70 29 . The Gift of Real- Life Moments and Connections . 72 30 . Push It All Away . 74 31 . Would It Be So Bad? . 75 32 . The Pen Cap Gesture . 77 33 . Who You Are Now . 80 34. Soul- Building Words . 81 35 . The Six- Second Challenge . 83 36 . Living All the Way . 85 37 . The Right Choice . 87 16 Only Love Today 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 16 1/10/17 8:56 AM Today matters more than yesterday. Who you are becoming matters more than who you were. When Natalie became interested in making loose- leaf iced tea, it quickly became her passion . We’d seek out new flavors at rustic farmers’ markets and fancy teashops . She’d hold out the canister and ask the vendor questions I did not understand . She’d pay with her babysitting money and carry her purchase securely with both hands . But it wasn’t until we got home that I fully appreciated what was transpiring . As Natalie poured freshly boiled water over the tea leaves, I found myself awestruck by her sudden maturity and independence . In an effort to help me ditch diet soda once and for all, Natalie would entice me with delicious flavor combinations . “Pomegranate peach,” she’d say as she patiently allowed the tea to steep . “I think you’ll like this one, Mama ”. When the tea was chilled, she’d hold out a glass of the deep orange liquid, as if handing me a sunset made with her very own hands . I felt like crying every single time . One day it dawned on me why . The same place where Natalie made tea was precisely where I smashed a casserole dish in a moment of anger and overwhelm . And when I did, I scared that precious child, who happened to be rinsing off her dinner plate at the time . This woman who is supposed to have it all together fell apart Spring: Opening Up 17 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 17 1/10/17 8:56 AM right in the very spot this child makes tea in hues of yellow, purple, and orange . Each time my daughter handed me a glass and said, “Taste this one, Mama,” I felt like I was being handed forgiveness, redemp- tion, and the promise of a new dawn . I was reminded that even the best stumble sometimes . Even the one who holds up the world needs a reprieve . Even the most mindful need to evaluate their priorities every once in a while . I was reminded that even those who appear the most vibrant on the outside can be dying on the inside . I’d blink back tears as I recalled pieces of ceramic flying in every direction and how my daughter loved me in spite of it . I look back on that unseasonably warm spring day and realize I was in a bad place . I was sleep- deprived . I was trying to meet work deadlines and fulfill end- of- the- school- year duties . I’d been in physical pain for months . I was worried about an infection I couldn’t seem to shake . In this fragile state I made a mistake that could have hurt someone I love or myself . That night I went to Natalie’s room to ask for forgiveness . “I am so sorry,” I said . “I did not handle the situation well . I think it’s because I’m not taking good care of myself lately,” I said . I was realizing and admitting this truth all at once . My little budding orthopedic surgeon (who reads medical textbooks in her spare time “for fun”) quickly came up with sug- gestions as if she’d been waiting to be asked . More sleep, Mama. More fresh air. More water, Mama. Too much caffeine. More chilling out. Get your heart rate up when you exercise. And tea. Drink herbal tea instead of soda. I can make you some, Mama . I publicly declared then and there what I intended to do to get to a better place . I would give up soda and drink more water . I would add a little running into my daily walks; a mile or two of heart- pumping, sweaty exertion could do wonders . I would be more selective when it came to writing and speaking oppor- tunities . I would get at least seven hours of sleep . I would go to 18 Only Love Today 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 18 1/10/17 8:56 AM a specialist and get to the bottom of a six- month- long bladder infection instead of continuing to take a multitude of antibiotics . That is precisely what I did . I made changes . By the grace of God, it wasn’t too late to get to a better, healthier place . I quickly began sleeping through the night . I could think more clearly . I could handle frustration better . I began advocating for my health, making it the top priority on my weekly agenda . Change: it’s possible . Failings: they’re part of life . Growth: it’s a gift . Whether you’ve lived many decades on this earth or just a few, it’s not too late to evaluate the way you’re living and make changes . It’s not too late to be the person you want to be . Take it from me, a living, breathing example of a woman restored and renewed by small, daily efforts and the everlasting grace of God . Natalie makes tea several times a week in the exact spot where things were broken but have managed to come back stronger than before . When she hands me that tall glass of forgiveness, I am given a reminder that brings relief to my parched soul— and now I offer it to you . To you, the weary nurturer who begins each day feeling lost and overwhelmed . to you, the hopeful artist praying for inspiration . to you, the feisty survivor wondering what your pain level will be today . to you, the broken- hearted believer searching for answers and hope . to you, the silver- haired dreamer not quite ready to give up on the dream . to you, the fearful protector facing what feels like a losing battle . to you, the perpetual worrier wringing her hands over the state of things . You are not finished . Today matters more than yesterday. Who you are becoming matters more than who you were. I offer Spring: Opening Up 19 9780310346746_OnlyLoveToday_5p.indd 19 1/10/17 8:56 AM the readings in the season ahead in the hope that they will be your tall glass of forgiveness, your undiscovered options, your promise of a new dawn . Each entry is a tangible lifeline toward positive change, renewal, and growth .