Does that Even Matter?

I used to be very vocally passionate about politics. My opinions were "correct", even though I "listened" to others. I became the classic "Facebook arguer," spending time typing out perfectly constructed arguments with links to evidence that backed me up. I frowned at those who were different, having a set of rules in my head that I thought people should follow. "Go to college, don't dye your hair pink, make a substantial amount of money, stay away from drugs, and do your best to be a good person."

In my life, I have not been dealt the best cards. Sure, I'm not folding in the first round of poker, but I haven't (like most people I'm sure) always felt like I'm holding a royal flush...

...which helped me notice and has brought me to the point of today's blog.

Life is short. Cliche saying? Yes. Truthful meaning? Absolutely.

What does that mean? Stop sweating the small stuff and start prioritizing the things that matter.

If you're like me, you might get a little too heated that they forgot to put mac 'n cheese in your curbside delivery order at Kroger (they only have one job, right?) You also might have become a victim to a couple religious or political arguments in your day.. but when you stop and think about it in the grand scheme of things.. what actually matters?

When I stopped allowing myself to get stressed over the people that cut me off on the highway and my pizza being 20 minutes late, I realized the issue of prioritization in our lives can go a little deeper.

I thought of parents that turned their grandchildren away because their daughter had the baby out of wedlock. I thought of dads who missed out on baseball games and dance recitals because work matters were a little too pressing. I thought of those that would not befriend someone with a different sexual orientation because it "made them uncomfortable". I thought of phone calls and texts that are more important than being present than who we are with. I thought of those who had offensive habits and opinions just because "it was the way they were raised".

We become so wrapped up in "what we think is right" and "what we think is best"... we forget what is actually important.

It is so easy to become encompassed by wanting everything to be "our way or the highway" that we forget to stop and ask ourselves "does this really even matter"? Or.. is this even my place to decide?

What's my point?

At the end of your life, you're not going to look back at remember all the times a cop was a jerk to you or your order was wrong at a restaurant. You're not going to glad that you "stood by your ways" and did not allow your children to date people of another color. You're not going to be thankful for all the arguments you held with others, trying to convince them you were correct. You're not going to be grateful for those you pushed away because they were different than you. You're not going to have a list of small stuff by your side that caused you stress.

Stop allowing irrelevant things from giving you anxiety. Stop letting yourself be so adamant in your opinions that you are blinded from loving others. Stop focusing on what you think is supposed to happen and enjoy what is actually happening. Stop sweating the small stuff and start being grateful for the important stuff.

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14