Five Minute Friday

I Am (Not) Surprised

I’m a bit surprised.
And angry.
And disillusioned.
This week has been hard.
A lot of questions and doubts and struggles.
A lot of tears and hopes and fears.
So many question marks about the future.
So many unfulfilled desires.
And so little assurance and certainty of everything.

In my walk of life with its ups and downs I thought I had learned a bit.
I thought I had developed a bit of confidence in myself, in others, in You.
I thought I had learned enough truth which would now get me through the storm.
I thought I had become at least a little bit more mature in wisdom, life, and faith.

As I lie here in my restless state of mind and heart I realize that I am not surprised.
I am sobered.
In all the living and growing and struggling I still need You.
In all the knowing and learning I still need to trust You.
In all the wandering and moving I still need to find my home in You.
In all the worrying and questioning and doubting I just hope that You’ll be there every step of the way.

Writing for Five Minute Friday today. Have you heard? There will be a book compilation with the best pieces from the community. Check out the details at Kate’s page!

[Five Minute Friday] Share

The last year hasn’t been easy for me.
I transitioned into work life and had a lot of growing up to do. There were a lot of firsts and I had a lot to learn.

There were a lot of highs.

Like when a class went really well and I actually had fun with my students.
Like when planning becomes easier and inspiration comes when you need it the most.
Like when students and colleagues are no longer strangers.
Like when I discovered that I am still myself despite all the changes.

Of course, there were also a lot of lows.
Like the pile of work that never seems to end.
Like the looming deadlines that weigh so heavy on my shoulders.
Like the few hours of sleep and the tired legs – a constant reminder how exhausted I am.
Like the expectations others and myself have.
Like the worry that I won’t pass exams and won’t get a job afterwards.
Like the fear of what comes next.

Life is a cycle of ups and downs, highs and lows.
On this journey we are not alone.
In all the craziness I am beyond grateful to have traveling companions.
People who are in the same situation and know what I truly mean when I say I’m stressed.
People who can chip in their advice because they’ve got amazing expertise and turn my twisted thoughts into something logical.
People who cheer me on and understand when not everything goes my way.

They don’t solve my problems.
They just can’t.
But they are willing to share a piece of my life, my thoughts, my heart.
They are just there.
They remind me that this is not the end.
That there is more.
That there is someone who is always there, always ready to share in all of our joys and sorrows.

Who are your traveling companions?
May you have people who journey with you.
Who don’t make everything better, but who are willing to share a bit of your life and point you to the things that really matter.

Writing for Five Minute Friday today.

[Five Minute Friday] Morning

I am a morning person.
I somehow got used to getting up early and learned to appreciate its benefits. You get the gift of a beautiful sunrise and a reminder that today is a new day full of God’s grace.
I love how I can look back on everything I’ve already accomplished around lunchtime. It feels good to get things done.

There’s something special about mornings.
They are sacred moments.
They carry a certain sensation with it.

Each morning is an expectation.
A whole day ahead of me with so many hours to fill.
What will I do with these hours?
I need to get work done, obviously. But there’s always time for meeting a friend, a chat with a colleague, a delicious meal.
Mornings are the beginning of a new day and I am expectant to how it will all play out.
How do you fill your day?

Each morning also carries a bit of fear.
So many hours of precious time in front of me.
What if I ruin it?
What if I look back on the day at night and feel like I haven’t accomplished anything? What if I waste my time?
What if something bad happens today and I wished I never lived through this day?
We can’t stop a day from happening, we have to live through.
Yes, there will be off days, but that’s okay.
Face your fears and face the day.

Most of all, mornings are an invitation.
Make plans for the day, but allow them to be changed.
By a bus you just missed.
By a friend who needs to talk with you.
By a project that needs your attention.
By the Lord who might have something better in mind for you today.
Invite spontaneity into your life.
And invite the Lord to be himself with you today.

What does your morning look like?

Writing for Five Minute Friday today.

[Five Minute Friday] Forget

Even though I have warned many of my friends, I still feel bad about what some of my relationships have been like in the last year. When I began my teaching job I told them, “Don’t take it personally if I don’t contact you in months, I just started working. It feels a bit like a bomb has been dropped on me and I have no idea when I’ll get out of that hole.”

When you’re adjusting to a new culture and schedule you don’t have much time for anything else. A lot of things and a lot of people seem forgotten. Yes, I often felt like I’d been forgotten by other people.
But was I really?

Just the other day I was ready to get on the bus around 6.30 am when I got a text. It was from my mom. “Hey, how are you, dear? I just wanted to wish a great day at work, you’ll be great. I love you.”
Not many words, but they brightened my day. They cheered me on. They showed me that I am not forgotten.

Life often wants to tell us that we are forgotten.
That no one really cares about us, we’re just little people in little places.

But the One who created us little people and all these little places does care.
He cares so much that he sends us ‘texts’ every day to remind us.
A beautiful sunrise.
A flowerbed with colorful daffodils reminding us that spring is on its way.
A good conversation with a friend when we just need to talk.
A shoulder to lean on.
A song on your ipod with the lyrics we just needed to hear.
A few words that can turn our entire day around.
You are not forgotten. The Maker of heaven and earth sees your every move and breath, and guess what: He’s smiling.

In case you need some more reminders, listen to this tune.

Writing for Five Minute Friday today. One prompt, five minutes of writing, many wonderful writers to read along. Come and join us!

[Five Minute Friday] Quiet

Have we met?
We might have met on a conference or congress. We might have met in church. We might have connected through the lovely Five Minute Friday community. We might have run into each other somewhere around the globe.

People often say, “The first impression counts”, and I sometimes wonder what people think when they meet me.

The one who’s always up on some stage.
The talker.
The people person.
The networker.
The leader.

I don’t mind being called that, this is who I am.
But I sometimes wonder how many people know the other side of me.
The side that’s not up on some stage or leading someone.

I sometimes call myself an extro-introvert.
I actually like the quiet.

As much as I love meeting people and coaching them to discover their potential and the beauty around them I want to connect on a deeper level.

As much as I love sharing about things I’ve learned I want to hear.

As much as I sometimes need to get out and seek the crowds I want to appreciate the quiet.

I want to appreciate you.
I value words.

Your words.

Your story you so boldly share and allow me to hear.
That piece of your heart you decide to give away and allow me witness.

The quiet is a safe space where people are ready to open up and connect on a deeper level.
The quiet is a sanctuary where the noises of the world are not allowed to penetrate this peaceful atmosphere.
The quiet is the place where we slow down enough to listen, really listen to each other. Where we sit still and wait.
Where we open up our empty hands and hearts and whisper, “Lord, here we are. Speak.”

Writing for Five Minute Friday today.

[Five Minute Friday] Present

You know why I love language? Because it gives you treasures to dig up and discover. Meanings you haven’t thought of before. Things that make you wonder and smile.

Present.
A noun talking about the time right here and right now.
Yesterday is past and we can’t do anything to change it. We don’t have to forget about it, but we’re not supposed to let it haunt us into today.
Tomorrow is the future and we can’t predict what will happen. Even our best laid plans can be thrown over within seconds.

All we have is right now.

A day of 24 wonderful hours – time to sleep and rest our head after a busy day, time to work and be productive, time to talk to friends and invest in their lives, time to eat and enjoy, time to waste with regretting the past or worrying about the future.

What will you do with your present?

Present.
A noun talking about the gifts we give and receive.
We think of colorful wrapping paper, glittery surfaces and children’s birthday parties.

There’s more.

Presents are the sunrise in the early morning hours, the deep breaths that remind you that you’re alive (still!).
The smell of coffee, the joke of a colleague, the hug of a friend, the warm bed at night.
The conversation that stirs your mind and touches your heart.
The soft whisper of God encouraging you if you’re quiet enough to listen.

What presents have you been given this week?

Be here today. Live in the present and discover its many little presents.

Writing for Five Minute Friday today.

[Five Minute Friday] Time

Time.

What a word in a week of very little time. It was the first week after the holidays and I was overwhelmed with everything I had to do. No, time wasn’t really available.

Do you have time?

Yesterday I went to the library to print something and I ran into an old friend. We started some small talk and he had some questions. So we sat down.
“Do you have time for this?”, he asked.
I thought of my to do list, the stacks of papers to organize, the lessons to plan…
“Yes, let’s talk.”
Sometimes you have to make time.

Do you have time?

Time to pause for a moment in your rush to work to inhale the fresh morning air.
Time to recognize the first snowflakes making their way to the ground. Yes, winter has finally made it to Germany.
Time to enjoy the food you’re eating and start a conversation with a colleague about life and faith in a depth you never expected.
Time to take a deep breath and remind yourself that stress is not the end of the world. You can do more than you think.
Time to listen to a friend in need.

Time to hear the Father whispering, “Do you have time, my child, to discover all the little treasures I have hidden in the mundane for you to enjoy?”

Do you have time for the beautiful ordinary this week?

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Making time to write for Five Minute Friday today.

[Five Minute Friday] First

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I hope you had some quiet weeks to spend time with your family, stuff yourself with good food and let the Christmas joy settle in your heart.
And to ring in the New Year in all corners around the world.

January. First month of the year.
Beginning of so many new things.
Quite a lot of people use the new year to come up with resolutions.
This is what I will do this year. Well, maybe until January 10 until work starts again and you just need these guilty pleasures or weaknesses to keep you going.
I’m not a big fan of these resolutions because they put so much pressure on me and the disappointment coming along with them is not really helping.
So here are some things I will NOT do in the next year.

I will not be able to keep up with all the friends around the globe, as much as I want to. I will, though, be more intentional in my investing and sharing.

I will not work 24-7 and carry the world’s weight on my shoulders. More than that, I will practice keeping Sabbath and organizing my week and heart towards it, not away from it.

I will not do quiet time every day and feel bad about it. God can be found outside my room at 5 a.m. and I want to challenge myself to find Him in unexpected places.

I will not sit around and wait for the perfect plan to move forward, the perfect guy to show up, the perfect job to secure my future. Waiting time is never wasted time and I want to make the most of the days right in front of me.

I will not keep up the facade of a happy clappy, perfectly-in-order life every single day. That would be a lie. I am a human being that struggles like everyone else, that falls and has to deal with her mess. I will, however, practice more vulnerability.

This year I will learn to not DO.
I will BE.

What are some of the things you want to learn this year? I would love to hear from you!

Writing for Five Minute Friday today. One prompt, five minutes on the timer and Go! No editing, but lots of sharing and connecting! Come and join us?

[Five Minute Friday] Arrival

Advent.
NOUN /ˈædvent/
the time when something begins or comes into existence
the process of bringing something into existence or use for the first time

It’s 5.15 and my alarm goes off. Time to get up and go to work. I ride the train through the pitch black landscape and during the first lesson it is still completely dark. It feels surreal living and working when you can’t see anything outside.

The winter months are the dark ones that force us to go home early.
To stumble through the darkness.
To accept that we are often blind and have no clue about life whatsoever.

These dark months sharpen our endurance.
They refine our dreams.
They train our senses to wait and to hope.

Right in the middle of this waiting period Advent happens.
The arrival of the One who calls himself light of the world.
He enters our dark and confusing world with his perfect light that makes any kind of lightbulb look dim.
His light outshines our every darkness, our doubts, our hopelessness.
His light drives out any of our fears and accuations.
Flee oh darkness, for the light is here.

His breath revives our weary hearts and tense muscles.
His glow sheds light onto our faults and pulls our broken souls out of the shadows. He illuminates the dark spots we so often try to hide.
His healing hand mends our broken bones and broken hearts.

His light challenges us to pass it on.
To not keep it to ourselves, but share it with those who still stumble through the darkness.
To create a space where both of us are free to live in the light and share our bruises.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
Isaiah 9:2;6&7

Writing for Five Minute Friday today. The last one for this year!

[Five Minute Friday] Season

Yesterday I went for a walk with a friend. The sun was already down and we were enclosed in darkness. People brushed by us with their faces tucked away in thick winter coats. We wore hats, coats and gloves, but it was still cold.

As we walked the busy streets of our town I realized how much I detest the cold.
I don’t like my whole body shuddering in these low temperatures.
I don’t like tense muscles because I’m shivering so much.
I don’t like wet feet because the beautiful white snow has become some brown disgusting slump.
I don’t like people running past each other, everyone in a hurry to get out of the cold. We’re generally in a bad mood because, well, it’s just too cold.
I don’t like that it’s Advent, but I am way too busy to even slow down, reflect and let Christmas joy settle in my worry-haunted heart.

Since I spent a few years in warmer realms I am naturally inclined towards the sun.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have summer all year round, I would suggest in my dreams.
Recently I’ve come to answer this question with no.

Despite the cold and the moody people, winter has its beauty.
There are lights and the smell of freshly cut branches in the house.
There’s baking Christmas cookies and gathering for tea times with friends.
There are slower songs that bring back memories from all those winters when we were small.

There’s a moment of slowing down, letting go, death.
Creating space for unseen things to grow and unfold.
Practicing patience while waiting for spring to bring back new life and new dreams.

Winter is a moment for the soul to pause and cleanse itself. When the first rays of sun and blossoms break through in spring it is ready to rejoice and take in new life.

Just as nature blossoms and dies we need these seasons to learn, to wait, to grow.

Writing for Five Minute Friday today.