The Cold Shoulder

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, it’s all about the off-the-shoulder look these days.  Like any new trend, I had a hard time embracing it at first; but, now that I have, the more off-the-shoulder, the better. Add in the fact that this off-the-shoulder look is also a JUMPSUIT, and I’m sold. It’s my two favorite trends all wrapped into one comfy, sassy, vacation-ready look. Fab’rik for the win…again.

Last Saturday, I spent some time on the lake celebrating the birthdays of two dear friends… and by “spending some time,” I mean like the whole day. It was a blast. The sun was hot, the water felt amazing, and the laughter was plentiful. But, right now, I’m still paying the price. My shoulders are burnt to a crisp. In fact, my daily text messages with Katie have turned into a complaining session about our fried body parts. Aloe has quickly become my new best friend.

Lesson learned. The sun in Tennessee is just as powerful as the sun at the beach. 

While my shoulders do not feel too cold at the moment, I’m ready to give the “cold shoulder” to something I have been feeling for a while.  And that something is worrying about time. Yes, time. Even though I am on summer vacation and shouldn’t have a worry in the world, the clock still ticks away at me everyday. I’ve noticed that I am not really living in the moment.  Instead, I am planning and worrying about events in the future that I have ZERO control over.

 

While on the lake this weekend, I had no control over ANYTHING. I couldn’t drive the boat. I couldn’t decide how long we would stay on the lake. I couldn’t control the sun (obviously). It was the first day in a long time that I realized it was okay to not be in control – to not have to watch the clock. In fact, it was almost relaxing.

So, I am giving the cold shoulder to the clock. I need to do a better job of giving my “time worries” to God. Let Him decide when everything needs to get done. I am going to touch more on this topic later this week, but I just want to leave you with something I heard from Justin Davis on Sunday. He said, “Just because you are not where you think you should be doesn’t mean you are not going to get there.” AMEN.

What do you need to give the cold shoulder to? What worry can you hand over to the Big Guy upstairs? How will handing it over allow you to become a better you?

"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." - Psalm 51:2