I Am More Than a Number

I used to be an optimistic, fun-loving, wildly funny and sarcastic person.  I used to see the glass as half full...never half empty.  I used to write poetry and short stories.  I used to live for worship time at church with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I used to be an individual who was unique and funny and caring and hopeful and life-loving.  

But something changed.

And I became a number.

I became the number on my scale which made me fret.

And the number on the clothing tag--which I SWORE I'd never be.

I became the number of items yet to be crossed off on my 

To Do list.

And the number of messy piles around my house.

And the number of dollars in our checking account.

And the number of dollars on the credit card statement.

And the number of people I'd let down.

And the number of failures I'd had that day.

What started out as fun and exciting (TPT and blogging) turned me into yet another number.

I became the number of cha-chings I heard that day.

And the number of dollars I made that month.

And the number of tax dollars I owed.

And the number of followers I had.

And the number of clicks on my blog.

And the number of Facebook fans I had.

And the number of new products I could produce in a month.

 And the number of people ahead of me in sales.

And the number of stuff I didn't really need but bought anyway because we had a little "extra money".

 

As I started becoming just a number....I became so much less human.

I didn't laugh as much.

I didn't put my computer down to enjoy my sweet daughter's pleading to play or swim.

I didn't take care of my home and family like I do my "business."

I wasn't proud or thankful for my own accomplishments and milestones because I was always comparing them to someone else and I never, ever measured up.

I didn't even find joy in church or The Word anymore.

And then one day (TODAY, actually), I realized that dadgumit (Southern term there!)  I am MORE THAN A NUMBER!

My life is more than a series of numbers. 

You are more than a number, too.

And I wanted you to know that.

 

Let's throw out all the numbers.  Let' just be REAL.  Let's enjoy every second we're blessed with.  Let's show our families how much joy they bring us.  Let's squeal and giggle....play in the dirt....and stay off the computer just for the heck of it sometimes.  

Let's be proud of someone else's milestone because they're HUMAN too...they're not that number you see.

Let's bring so much joy and sunshine and love and laughter into our lives that it can't help but encircle the world.

Let's leave the numbers for math class.

Let's just LIVE.