Catalyst Track: Only Love Today // Day Two

This track comes from Rachel Macy Stafford’s new book, Only Love Today.

 

Only Love Today means . . .

choosing love when it’s so easy to choose criticism, judgment, ridicule, and revenge;

choosing love when it’s not convenient, comfortable, or reciprocate;

choosing love when it feels like there is no love to give;

choosing love because love is a good place to start a new beginning.

 

In this 3 day track, Rachel invites us to pause, reflect and remember the things that matter, the things that sustain in the long run as leaders.

 

Maybe it’s been awhile since you’ve taken a breath. Maybe you have become so enmeshed in your daily schedule as a leader, you are missing out on the ability to spontaneously invest in others. Maybe you have had a hard time receiving the love and care you need to continue serving others.

 

If this describes you (or you think there is a real possibility it could describe you at some point) take the next few days to re-focus. 

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DAY 2: The Art of Showing Up

 

We arrived at the hospital as the sun was setting. Although a good portion of visiting hours remained, there was an urgency in my husband’s stride. Perhaps he instinctively knew something I didn’t.

 

“He is in a deep sleep right now, son,” the nurse informed him. “You may want to come back tomorrow.”

 

As if he didn’t hear her, my husband pulled up a chair next to his grandfather’s bedside and sat down. He gently wrapped his strong, slender fingers around his grandpa’s translucent hands, lined with protruding veins.

 

“Do you remember the double header in Anderson, Grandpa?” His casual tone suggested the two of them were sitting side by side on a porch swing or relaxing on the back patio. “My grandpa never told me when he was going to come to one of my college baseball games,” he explained, as one would bring others up to speed if they missed the first part of the conversation.

 

My husband appeared to be smiling at me, but I think he was actually smiling to himself. He added quietly, “Papaw would just show up.”

 

Now, decades later, I think one of this man’s greatest contributions was his influence on my husband’s life.

 

I see it when my daughter says, “Dad showed up at school for lunch today, and I didn’t even know he was coming!” I see it when my husband says, “My sister and brother are running in a race this weekend. If we get on the road early tomorrow, we can show up and surprise them.”

 

The art of showing up. Some people do it so well—they’re willing to forgo their own agendas and their own timetables because they understand the vital importance of presence.

 

The art of showing up. A simple act that becomes a representation of who you are and a beautiful legacy you one day leave behind. We all have the opportunity to be that person who “shows up” today.

 

CHALLENGE:

 

Take a look at your schedule and the people in your life right now. Whether it’s a child’s sports game, or a co-worker’s birthday party, who can you “show up” for this week? Share in the comments below.

 

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