One of my favorite Christmas songs growing up was “Over The Mountain.” You know, “Over the mountain and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go…” How excited the kids on that sleigh must have been heading over to grandmas for dinner. Some of my most precious memories weren’t of heading over to grandma’s house, but waiting for her and grandpa to come over to ours. We lived in Virginia at the time, just north of Washington, DC, and they lived in Athens, Georgia. (Go Dawgs! That was for my grandfather!)

We didn’t have cell phones back then so we would get a phone call when they would leave from the house or from a hotel they stopped at and we were given an approximate time of arrival. I would find out what time they would be arriving and head out about and hour early, traveling about two blocks away to wait.

I would sit on the curb with my elbows on my knees and chin in my hands while I stared as far down Southampton Drive as I could see. I would sometimes sit for two hours just waiting, and oh the excitement I felt when they arrived. I would jump in the car with them and ride the final two blocks sitting next to grandma as my grandfather just grinned and called me “old soldier.”

Looking back I think I have spent most of my life waiting for someone or something to arrive. My sixteenth birthday, college, marriage, my first “real job,” having children, a raise (I’m still waiting on that one), Ann Marie to get home from her first date, retirement… the list doesn’t have an end.

Spiritually, I have discovered that people are also “waiting to arrive.” It’s almost as if the abundant life that we read about in scripture is something that we will one day achieve. I just knew one day I would wake up and suddenly be the all encompassing spiritual leader I knew I was supposed to be, or the godly husband and father, or….” Again, the list can go on and on!

What I have realized in my limited number of years on this planet is that I will never arrive. I will never be good enough, smart enough, or spiritual enough. I won’t ever arrive because it’s not about performance and measuring up, but about two things: realizing and living.

I can throw away my old measuring sticks because Jesus made me a new creation when I accepted him as my savior. I am all I will ever be. I may not act like it or live in it every day, but it doesn’t change who I am. And this is a beautiful realization because instead of focusing all my energy on becoming better, I can now adjust my attention to learning more about who I already am and living.

Jesus came so we could have abundant life; not abundant performance! The world is not for me to go out and take advantage of, but it is there for my pleasure within certain boundaries. I don’t have to understand all about my new nature right now; God will allow me to realize bits and pieces everyday! And it gets better; I can enjoy today even though I don’t fully realize everything!

Abundant life isn’t found by sitting on the pew of the church staring into the future waiting for spiritual awakening to occur. It’s found in living out what you already understand about your new nature, not trying to measure up to the world’s standards. It’s a willingness to learn more each day without the pressure of having to have it all figured out right now. It’s taking leaps of faith in our new found freedom, learning from mistakes and enjoying our victories!

The next time you are feeling down about life ask yourself what measuring stick you are using. Are you using the world’s oppressive measuring sticks or are you just living out what you have learned about your new nature and discovering more about your new found freedom in Christ? Personally, I choose freedom!





– Johnny Walker is a Christian Counselor and the founder of Family Works Counseling.