Overextended and Loving Most of It by Lisa Harper was my first read of 2019 and I am SO GLAD it was for two main reasons.
- Lisa Harper and I are definitely going to be best friends. Seriously…I need to apologize to the people at the airport and on the airplane with me as I was reading this. I was laughing out loud at several moments and in the next moment…just nodding with understanding with this sister in Christ who GETS IT. We are also kindred spirits with a huge heart for adoption and what it means to live out the gospel on a daily basis…and have it soak through…even your clothes sometimes! I can’t wait to meet her soon since we are going to be best friends!
- Lisa does an amazing job of helping the reader focus their heart and mind on keeping THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING. There are so many distractions in life…but we are the ones that choose what comes first even in the midst of the busyness. This book was a great way to filter what matters most heading into a new year.
I loved this book and think my “old lady chat chat” friends will too. That’s the name my daughter has given to me and my friends…mostly because she can’t understand why all of us old ladies have so much fun talking and laughing together. Lisa Harper would love our group…that settles it…we need to call her and invite her over for queso!
I highlighted a few things while reading and have posted those notes below…
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When is it worth being stretched beyond my comfort zone? When is it worth “overspending” myself for the sake of the gospel? If I erased all the commitments on my iCal this month, would anybody besides my dentist or the pest control guy really care? What exactly did Jesus mean when He said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” (Matthew 10:39 NLT) Location: 176
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“You know, I think this is what we’re supposed to look like when we stand before Jesus. I don’t think we’re supposed to show up in glory with time to spare, a fresh manicure, and perfect hair. I think if we’re really living the gospel, we’re going to fall at His feet exhausted and messy, with mismatched socks, just plumb worn out from loving people as hard as we can!” Location: 192
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Life isn’t always orderly and relationships rarely fold neatly with hospital corners. Real life . . . abundant life . . . God-honoring life is about loving Jesus and the people He allows us to rub shoulders with well. Which means some days we’ll be stretched emotionally and physically. We’ll be taxed to the max. We’ll be exhausted. We’ll probably even embarrass ourselves in the process. Thankfully, God can expand our hearts, minds, bodies, and calendars to accommodate our calling. Because loving our Redeemer and loving the world around us Really. Is. Worth. It. Location: 195
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The story of the Good Samaritan underscores a running theme in the Bible: people matter to God. And He expects them to matter to us as well. Location: 284
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…part of the blessing is in the stretch itself. In other words, when compassion is coupled with inconvenience, it’s sweeter. Because if I only extend kindness when it’s convenient or natural for me, then I don’t need much of God’s help to make the investment. But when I give from an account that already feels overdrawn, then I have to depend on Him to transform my meager capacity into grace that benefits the receiver! Location: 285
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I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter. —Bob Goff Location: 336
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Vulnerability is not knowing victory or defeat, it’s understanding the necessity of both; it’s engaging. It’s being all in.—Brené Brown Location: 580
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It’s amazing what a small amount of risk on our part God counts as being all in. Location: 745
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And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21) In other words, God gives us specific directions—even when life is loud and chaotic. All we have to do is listen. Location: 839
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Taking a moment to ask God for clarity usually leads to an unruffled awareness about what’s really going on. It’s taken me decades to get this, but I’m finally learning that extremely intense emotions—like panic or fury—are often rooted in the past or flung toward the unknowable future. Location: 887
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If you live long enough, disappointment is inevitable. Drama, on the other hand, isn’t. Location: 890
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Because B (for breathing), L (for listening), A (for asking), S (for smiling), and T (for taking the next step) helps me remember that a saturated calendar doesn’t have to be stressful. We really can have a blast during busy seasons and enjoy every minute God allows us to take up space on this planet. Location: 956
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I’d much rather risk the disappointment of love lost than never experience love at all. So, for now, I’m choosing to limp forward and hum Habakkuk’s song: Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. (Habakkuk 3:17–19) Location: 1,152
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Love bigger. Fear smaller. Run headlong into the arms of Jesus every single day. Location: 1,421