What I Want To Be Good At - Lora Lovin Osburn

Two recent compliments have really gotten me thinking.

You know, compliments are a good thing. I so appreciate kind words. In a world where words are sometimes tossed recklessly around, I so appreciate encouraging words, words that build each other up. I’m always bragging on my friends, because they are the best. Recently two friends complimented me on the topic of my organized home. As you mamas know, keeping your home in order is work. I so appreciated their words. Their words were such a blessing and encouragement to me.

But the more I thought about the kind words and the kind hearts that shared the compliments, I thought about what I want to be good at and what I don’t want to be good at. I have a friend that has recently written two obituaries. Not a fun job; but you know, it will all come down to that when we take our last breath here: someone will be writing our obituary.

But you know what? Someone is hearing and seeing the story of our lives on a daily and weekly basis. Those that we are family and friends with could be the one, or ones, to write a summation of our lives.

Now, I fully enjoy organization and it is fun for me to keep things orderly; but it is not what I want to be good at. What do I want to be good at? I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I’ve started a list of what I want to be good at:

Loving GOD
Loving people
Living a life of gratitude and thanksgiving
Serving others with joy
Listening to and seeing GOD in the everyday routines
Listening to others share about their lives
Writing and sharing the creative ideas I hear Him speak
Spending time in prayer
Taking care of my temple in how I eat, move, and rest
Taking care of my home and things that I have been given

Now I did include my home and things on my list, but they fall in line after people. I’m going to share a short example about the first item on my list: loving people. People are priorities. Last week, my dear friend Melissa asked me to ride with her out-of-town to pick up some items. Now, it didn’t make sense to me that I should go because I had turkey bacon in the oven and two packages of chicken sausage cooking on the stovetop and laundry going and projects galore; but then there was this knowing that I felt that I should take this spur-of-the-moment invite and just go. A few weeks earlier, she did a spur-of-the-moment trip with me, and it was such a special time. But you know what? I sometimes tell myself that I do better with planning and organizing, but every day is a truly a gift, an opportunity. People are the gifts. Friends are gifts to me.

I am so blessed. After we returned from our road trip, she asked if I had time to stop at a favorite spot of hers. Time is a gift. Give freely. Receive in abundance. As she sat on a huge fallen tree and we marveled at the beauty and diversity of the trees – the seedlings and the mature ones – we shared life.