5 MINUTE FRIDAY - AFTER

Every Friday, you can hop on over to www.lisajobaker.com and join in the 5 Minute Friday. What is 5 Minute Friday? Glad you asked! Lisa Jo gives everyone a word and we write for five minutes - no editing, no stopping. Just writing. This week's word is AFTER.

How many times have I used the word "after" as an excuse? As in, "after the holidays, I'll start eating better," or "after my schedule gets less hectic, I'll have lunch with my friend," or "after school gets out (or starts again), I'll do x."

It's so easy for me to put things off until after.

Why do I do that? Imagine the things I could have accomplished if I had just started now. Imagine the people I could have connected with, the relationships I could have nurtured - let's face it, the inches and pounds I could have lost already if I wasn't always waiting until after.

This year, I had three words. Yes, I know - I'm only supposed to have one, but this year, God gave me three. They are Proclaim, Pray and Persevere. I'm getting a better handle on what it is He wants me to proclaim. He has definitely sent me to my knees to pray for various things and people, but I'm still working on that persevere.

The other day, a question on Facebook asked, "I'm really bad at _________." I didn't even have to think - the words "follow through" jumped into my mind.

I am a big idea person - always have been. Need an innovative or creative idea? I'm your girl. Need someone to follow through with that idea? Don't look at me!

This year, God is teaching me that the time is NOW. It's not AFTER. I need to stop using AFTER as an excuse. If I wait until the perfect time, that time will never come.

Life happens in the now. As someone said, (and I really have no idea who did), "Time and tide wait for no man." If I'm not careful, I can use the word after to procrastinate living my life.

So, I'm not going to wait until a better time. I'm not putting things off anymore. After all, we just never know if "after" will even come.