by madison kiley

Lush trees and the far off Blue Ridge Mountains rushed by as I rode through the Virginia countryside this morning. Beautiful scenery always causes me to reflect on important things…and this morning I thought about all the people I come across as a photographer.

Fast paced people, slow, easy-going people, sluggish people who act twice their age, people who are enthusiastic about life, and some that are annoyed by everything or simply don’t care.

Which was I?

Enthusiastic at times, excited about life for sure, fast paced, but am I easily annoyed? Do I get discouraged too easily? In 10 years will I act twice my age and simply not care about life anymore?

“L-rd, help me never be satisfied with mediocre!” I prayed under my breath. I sincerely meant it and wanted to think about the power of that statement more. I quickly typed it out on my phone and texted it in as my new status on Facebook.

“Do you really want Me to make you NEVER satisfied with mediocre?” I heard G-d quietly ask.

“Well yes! I really do!”

“Do you know what that really means? I can do it, but are you sure you are ready to live that way every day?”

I thought about that. My quick answer was, “Yes I really do. I don’t know the cost, but I really want You to do it. It’s worth it, isn’t it?”

“Don’t you think you should ask that first? What IS worth it in my Kingdom? What is really important about that to Me?”

I pondered that question. It was true…I shouldn’t flippantly ask for something if I don’t know what or why it is really important to G-d.

I came to this conclusion. Not being mediocre means passionately pursuing G-d in *every* aspect of my life. But there is more… and it can’t be described in one sentence. It should be [lived] in one life.

But I’m a writer. I literally have to take a pen and paper and really write out what I’m thinking. I’m also a list maker. So of course…I wrote a list. Not a list of do’s and don’ts, but a list to form in my mind what it means to passionately pursue G-d. A list to check myself…which person am I becoming?

So… What does it mean to not be mediocre?

• It’s doing everything with purpose.
• It’s seeing the value and potential in each thing I do.
• It’s being excited about what G-d is excited about.
• It’s stopping to see what’s REALLY going on and what G-d is up to in it.
• It’s actively [pursuing G-d] in every thought, activity, decision and spoken word.
• It’s opening my eyes to SEE Him!
• It’s a daily choice.
• It’s knowing truth and sticking to it.
• It’s doing what G-d says without heeding what others say or think.
• It’s pondering the past, but living in the future.
• It’s realizing that everything has value and worth.
• It’s not living or believing the “norm.”
• It’s questioning G-d alone for what to believe and do.
• It’s the active pursuit of our Heavenly Father.

this post quoted with permission from www.madisonkiley.com