When John and I were first engaged, the one question people asked me the most (right after “When’s the big day?!”) was where we were planning to honeymoon. One night several months before the wedding, a girl asked me this question as we made hi-I-just-met-you small talk.
“New England,” I answered, ready to give her the specifics.
“Oh! Have you ever been?”
“No,” I told her, pleased by the look on her face when she heard it, “I’m really looking forward to it.”
She promptly launched into a monologue about all the things she loved about New England which I thought was kind of curious since she didn’t know the exact states we were visiting. But one mention of “castles” and I realized we had veered way off course.
“London was the best. You’re just going to love England. It’s my absolute favorite place on earth!”
Oh dear. She had already said lots of words, y’all. Lots. Of words.
And I had already nodded my head and agreed with her words, thinking we were talking about New England.
I made a social decision I hoped I wouldn’t regret and decided to go with it and pretend I was going to England. I know! But we had reached the point of no return. Trust me when I say this.
I could only hope, FOR THE LOVE, that I would not run into this England-loving stranger after the honeymoon because I had a feeling she would figure it out when I returned only with stories of Boston and lobster and not crumpets the Prince of Wales.
Here’s the thing. I might possibly be in that spot again. With you.
I’ve been waiting to tell you about my most recent project until, well, I don’t know why I’ve been waiting. Until the time was right? Until it felt easy to explain? Until someone else decided to write the post for me? I don’t know.
If you subscribe to The Bench, you already know because I shared the news in my monthly letter back in November.
But now little links and images are showing up everywhere and I feel like time has rushed ahead of me and you think I’m going to London but really I’m going to New Hampshire and the truth is, I finished another book! And I forgot to talk about it here!
It comes out in August, y’all.
This one is born out of those many years when we shared the messy, the lovely, and the unexpected moments here for Tuesdays Unwrapped.
It’s about all the small ways Jesus is present in the daily ordinary, about releasing my obsession with building a life and trusting in the life Christ is building in me, about how our souls need smallness more than spotlights.
I’m not saying we can’t find the kingdom on the stages, in the spotlights, or in the big programs and events. But these days? Too much of that stuff flat wears me out. Besides, we don’t need people to remind us to look there. We have billboards and campaigns for that.
Instead, I need reminding to look for Jesus in that awkward interaction with my neighbor last week.
I need reminding to look for him in that discouraging conversation I had with my husband last night.
I need reminding to look for the kingdom within me when I’m feeling insecure, less-than, more-than, too much, and not enough.
Because his kingdom is with us and, more importantly, within us, the best place to find it is right where we are, on our regular Tuesdays, the smallest day of the week. And the best people to reveal his kingdom to us are the Tuesday people in our midst.
So I wrote a book to remind myself and hopefully you, too. It’s called Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World
I’m thrilled to announce it and so relieved it’s written. I’m in the middle of edits right now and hope to organize a focus group to read it early in the coming weeks. Mostly, I am so happy to sit on this Tuesday bench together this year, to slow and see hints of the kingdom in our everyday lives, and to embrace our smallness as a gift.
Also? I can’t stop buying gold things to match the book cover.
Gold is everywhere I go now! I’ve also been sharing a glimpse of my simple Tuesday each week using #itssimplytuesday on Instagram because it helps me to remember to see and to breathe. Maybe you’ll want to join in and unwrap the gift of your own Tuesday there.
I’ve said too many words, haven’t I? I can’t stop blinking. Is my tongue too big for my mouth? It’s expanding this very moment. Ignore me. See, if I just would have told you about this from the start it wouldn’t feel so weird! Welcome to my crazy.
As always, I’m deeply thankful for you. Thanks for sticking with me even when I get wonky and put off telling you really fun and important news. You’re all kinds of the best.
If you want to be the first to know about joining a focus group for Simply Tuesday and other first-word news, be sure to join me on The Bench and receive my once-a-month newsletter. You’ll automatically receive a free copy of my ebook Seven Little Ways to Live Art, sharing one way every day to take a soul breath.
Recent Comments