Dancing, Bulls & God's Tattoos

"As for your writing... dance with the bulls."

About a year ago I wrote a letter to one of my favorite authors. I told him about my writing, never expecting him to respond, but hoping he would. He did! Now a year later his words still haunt me. "As for your writing, I hope you continue to dance with the bulls." These words speak of something I've let go, something I need to remember.

In the last few months one of my favorite things has fallen into the background, lying under a layer of dust, forgotten. My love for writing. I've let it drift to the back burner. I've also quit my work out routine. I'm frustrated & ready to give myself the biggest lecture ever & then I remember, it's not hard to see why these things have slipped into the background. I mean, I am currently leading a course which takes most of my time, I'm mentoring several people, teaching on several courses & my ministry just moved offices. My plate is pretty full. However, what I'm realizing is this is becoming an excuse. 

When was Excuses invited?

Yes, life is busy. Good busy. I love my life, but I don't want all these wonderful things I'm doing to be shaded with the color of excuses. If I continue choosing to let the busyness of life become an excuse then I will never get a book published, I will never reach my goal weight & I will never reach any other goal I set for myself. Why? Because Excuses will rule my life & before I know it, I'll be 50 & wonder what happened.

Excuses are like cancer.

New goal. 

STOP making excuses. There will always be one. "Oh I'm too tired." "I'm sick." "I tried, but it never worked out." "I'll do it later, or tomorrow, or next week."

Excuses are endless and they seek to devour our life, but I don't want to let it anymore.

Yesterday I read a novel in one sitting, it's called Divergent. The writing was engaging & provocative. Provocative in the sense that it woke something in me, a hunger to "Go the Distance" like the great song from Hercules. One of the characters in this novel, by Veronica Roth, gets a tattoo of a bird to remind herself of the fears she's choosing to overcome. Another character chooses to not let bullies or bruises stand in her way, she must overcome & so she doesn't tolerate the many excuses that face her.

I'm not gonna lie, after reading the book I wanted to go out and get a tattoo. Like now. Something that will be there for life to remind me of God's call, the one He put deep in my soul & tells me I am created for so much more than this. The one that will inspire me when I'm tempted by excuses. I already know what it will look like. It will be something like a stick figure dancing with bulls, because even though those big, ferocious animals scare the crummy out of me I'm gonna choose to dance with them instead of letting my fear get the better of me. Excuses aren't allowed, only dancing with bulls is welcome.

Please don't all jump from your chair and get the first tattoo you think of, I drew my bull and stick figure on my arm & immediately my friends told me "No", thank goodness for good friends. But really, look at the heart behind what I'm saying. Tattoos are awesome but right now I am being allegorical in my reference. 

God has already tattooed our hearts. 

We can try to silence the call God has placed in us & we can throw every excuse in the book at it, but it will still be there like a persistent badger. 

A forever mark of how we are meant to live. 

It's His call to adventure, whispering "I've got bigger plans for you." The moment we let this call to adventure free the more God can show us how limitless we are when He's leading our lives. With God, nothing is impossible. Especially when we choose to toss Excuses out the door. 

Excuses are no longer welcome.

New challenge. 

Kick Excuses out. Choose the limitless adventure of God's call. Let Him remind me of the dreams & stories he's got me to tell. Put pen to paper. Get my running shoes on & get out the door. 

What about you? 

Feeling provoked yet? Life is full of tomorrows that will never come.

It's time to run.