Have you ever felt like everyday is just another day of the same thing?
You wake.
You tend to the family. You follow your morning routine. You go to work. You stop for lunch. You get frustrated by the traffic. You arrive home in time to get the kids to their first after school activity. You squeeze in a family. You get the kids homework done. You spend a few seconds with the spouse.
You crawl in bed, only to set the alarm to wake and do it all over again.
Going through the same routined rut everyday gets old.
It causes us to question our journey, purpose, and life’s significance. When you are living your life out in the mundane, you soon find yourself seeking and searching for meaning.
If you don’t step out of the rut now, it will get worse.
I spent the Thanksgiving holidays with family at a Dude Ranch in Texas. We saddled up one cold morning and headed out on a trail ride. It was a beautiful ride in the hill country, and I found myself watching the horses. Each horse was following the one in front of him. They knew the path. They knew each turn coming and every rock to dodge.
My eye shifted from the horses to the trail. The horses had walked that same trail so much that the path they now followed was a good 8 inches deep into the soil. They had worn a deep path as way of a comfortable routine route.
Old ruts are hard to step out of, until we get our eyes fixed on something else.
A few years ago, I felt I was in that same rut. Each day and week had such a set schedule that I followed to the letter to “get-it-all-done.” And while I might have seemed productive to others, on the inside I was dying. I was seeking, searching, and longing for something more.
I wanted to fEEl alive, invigorated by life.
There had been a stirring in my heart to step out of my “routined” way of life, and embrace a new journey. A new journey to the inner city, just 7 miles from my home. I put it off for quite awhile. I was afraid to make this big step. While my routine was weighing me down, there was a comfortableness about it.
I sat questioning, seeking, searching, and looking for a newness of life.
Until one day, I decided to take that scary step. I decided to fix my eyes on God and trust that where He was nudging my heart to go — that’s where I needed to go. And so, I did it – I walked right out of my comfortable rut and straight over to where my heart was leading. Yes, I was petrified. Of course, I was afraid. But you know what — I got to say “good-bye” to that everyday rut and “hello” to a life full of meaning and purpose.
And you can do the same thing too!
For more encouragement and the rest of the story of how you can step out, make sure you read Graffiti: scribbles from both sides of the street. It is the story and journey of my walk over to another street where my soul was awakened. Your street will be different than mine, but it is a journey you need to take.
Is living life in a rut something you struggle with? Have you found a remedy?