Chase

Chase

A person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

“YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS. It’s so thick and long. And your curls. . . . Ugh! I wish I had hair like yours!”

Lizzie smiled politely as the sales associate waxed eloquently about Lizzie’s curls.

Lizzie’s hair is gorgeous, but it is also prone to matting, snarling, and frizzing in a matter of hours. Growing up with hair requiring extravagant hoop jumping and extra coddling has created a love/hate relationship with her curly locks.

As we walked out of the store, Lizzie sighed, “Why do we always want what we don’t have? If they knew what my hair was like, they wouldn’t want it.”

“Oh, honey. We chase what we don’t have. We see the end result and desire it, not recognizing the downsides, all the hard work and effort underpinning it. We’re fickle creatures, aren’t we?” Bumping her shoulder with mine affectionately as we strolled, I said, “This is a good reminder about chasing. We see someone else’s life and want the bigger, fancier house, newer car, and beautiful wardrobe, but if we knew what was really going on in their life, we’d probably realize that we have it really good and not want to trade.”

My daughter’s thoughtful expression told me I’d scored a gentle point, and we moved on to more interesting topics. But I’ve circled back to the idea of chasing again and again. As an attorney, I’ve glimpsed the hardest parts of people’s lives and have learned that no matter how perfect someone’s life looks, they also hold hardship and hurt. No one is immune, and when we forget that, we risk chasing an illusion when we covet what they have.

Don’t chase what another has, which is an empty fantasy. Instead, chase God. Chase the tasks God places before you, chase the Kingdom of God here on earth. It is there that you will find not only what you are looking for but something beyond what you had dared to dream.

Lord, help us discern when we are chasing fantasies and when we are chasing you. When we start to chase the wrong things, pull us back into alignment with you. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: What fantasies have you been chasing? Make a list. Then, make a list of three things of God to chase, instead.