If someone were to ask me what motivates me each day, my snappy answer might be, “Coffee.”
Sometimes—though I don’t want to admit it—this may be true. That jolt of caffeine launches my thinking, and suddenly, the tasks of the day don’t seem so overwhelming. I’m ready to go. Note to self, however: Two cups of coffee and I’m suddenly a whirling dervish, unable to discern how to turn on my laptop and actually do something of value.
Of course, I want my day controlled by the Lord, so yes, there are consistent steps (other than coffee) I take which move me in that direction.
But thinking about what motivates me, and all of us in the pregnancy help community, three thoughts come to mind. Truth is, we have a lot which should rev our engines and launch our days, empowering us to soar to new heights.
Here they are:
1. First, God Is with Us Because We Chose His Side
We know this, right? But do we live it? Let’s go back to basics: God creates all human life. He knows what He is doing. We may see an unplanned pregnancy in someone’s life as an almost insurmountable obstacle, but God sees the big stuff.
Every time we reach out and provide hope to someone in this situation, we’re saying to God, “We believe you did this.” Every life is valuable. Every life matters. When we agree with God on this, He is absolutely with us.
We’re not arrogant when we say this. It’s not as if God decided our way of thinking is better than something else. It’s just that we chose God’s side, and that’s a safe place to be.
2. When We Love, Things Change
Jesus cut through all the noise when He boiled the Ten Commandments down to two: Love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we do those two, we won’t be out there committing adultery, coveting our neighbor’s stuff, stealing, taking the Lord’s name in vain, worshipping idols... or (okay, I’m off the Ten Commandments now) ranting furiously at those who disagree with us.
Here’s a statistic: 94 percent of those who come in our door each day are struggling with the issue of love. Ninety-four percent! Okay, I just made that up. It’s probably closer to 100 percent anyway.
But when we get up determined to love others, we’re motivated—because we know love has this incredible ability to bring peace to a tumultuous situation, to cast out fears, and to clarify our thinking as we seek the best decision.
Love should motivate us each day because love empowers us to change the status quo.
Tweet This: "Love should motivate us each day because love empowers us to change the status quo." - @KirkWalden
3. #AnyoneAnytime
Each morning when we wake up, we never know if this will be the day God uses Anyone of us, at Any Time, to hear God’s call and change the world. David didn’t know what might happen one morning when his dad sent him to the front line to bring food to his brothers. But later that day, he would slay Goliath.
In that same vein, a friend of mine—a single mom for several years—didn’t know when she woke up that a close friend would call her that day from an abortion clinic and say, “Tell me how great being a mother is.”
Suddenly, my friend had one opportunity—one last chance—to talk her friend out of an abortion clinic.
After some silence, my friend didn’t say what I thought she would.
Instead, she told her, “All women are different. Some dream about being a mother their whole life. Others, it’s not in their plans.”
What? She said that?
Her friend was desperate. “But it is the greatest thing, right?”
Again, my former single-mom friend—married to a great guy today—said something I would never think of. “No, it’s not. At least not for me.” Oh my, she was losing her opportunity...
After more silence, my friend spoke again. “But the greatest thing is not motherhood. The greatest thing is watching your child be a product of your sacrifice and determination. The greatest thing is watching your own transformation as a mother and the new selflessness you find within yourself.”
She went on. “The greatest thing is knowing how much you have stacked against you but gaining a new strength to knock down mountains for one, tiny little human.”
My friend wasn’t finished. “The greatest thing is unconditional love. Loving someone that you just don’t think you can love any more than you do but finding out, it’s so very possible. It’s a growing love. A bleeding, beautiful love to a little person who exhausts you, makes you cry tears of sorrow, who makes you want to rip your hair out, a little person who makes you call your own mom crying and asking for guidance.”
There was more. “It is so worth it. Even on the hard days when you feel like you can’t give anymore. Oh, you will find it in you. You will learn exactly who you are. And you will know. You will know the greatest thing. You just have to trust me because I know exactly what it feels like to think you have no other choice. I am here to tell you, it is so worth it.”
That conversation took place months ago. Soon, a little girl will be born—a precious gift and a testament to someone who understood that Anyone, at Any Time, might be called upon to change the world.
Three motivators. Each morning, do we understand we chose God’s side? Do we realize love does change things? And, do we begin each day with anticipation, wondering if this is the day when God chooses us to shift the future of our world?
If we get these three, maybe coffee isn’t so important after all.
