The Most Distracting Place On Earth

Something I have noticed over the last few years is that I have an unfortunate habit of getting really distracted anytime I move to Disney.

Some would say could you blame me and some would say I should be used to it by now; but I'm pretty sure that even if I didn't spend every minute of every day of every week on Disney property, life would still find a way to be a distraction from the things that truly matter.

We always think of consumers as those investing in some sort of material substance, but I would say I'm a consumer of experiences. A collector of moments if you will. I like stuff, but I like moments even better. The ones where I can close my eyes and think about what a sweet and beautiful life this is. For me that looks like the perfect sunset over Magic Kingdom or screaming Disney Mania songs before Fantasmic or my eyeballs filling with tears as the audience gasps in audible awe and wonder of the fireworks show. Obviously, I am easily amazed and dazzled by beautiful things. I'm so guilty of thinking, wow this is what makes life worth living. These moments are collected in my heart every chance I get. There's serious "fear of missing out," and I get caught in the mindset that I have to do it all. And I think that's where I get addicted.

These moments are really beautiful, magical things, but sometimes I find myself chasing them down more than I chase Jesus.

I am always about living your best life and doing the wild, adventurous thing... but it becomes something dangerous when we float from one moment to the next as if that's what we live for. Eventually the highs run out as do most things with a temporary lifespan, and we are left with the lows or moments in between. The feeling of being on top of the world is addictive, and the mundane becomes more unbearable than it should be. 

I look at my life now and see how easy it is to give myself an endless number of "high" experiences because of the accessibility of straight-up magic. If I'm every sad or lonely, I can literally drive to Magic Kingdom and get myself a Mickey bar (and it's a fact that no one can be sad eating ice-cream at Disney World). Of all the places in the world to never be bored, Disney is at the top of the list. Knock yourself out.

But honestly, this is the most exhausting way to live. There is a change that occurs in my behavior, mood, and spirit when I'm constantly working and striving for the next big thing instead of letting Jesus be my source of life. 

The beautiful thing about Jesus is that He isn't a temporary high. He is something so much more solid and steadfast. He is unwavering, but also wild. He is enough. I can stop running from one high to the next, afraid to ever come down to the ordinary; and instead rest in a purpose that outlasts the ups and downs of life. 

For some reason, I was recently hit with the reality that this wonderful season of life I'm in won't last forever. They never do. As young and free and my-youth-will-live-forever as I feel, nothing is guaranteed. My season at Disney is one of those temporary things in life. Despite my own plans, it's something that could honestly change in a second. Even more of a reason not to place my joy or purpose for living in something as grand as a career or as intangible as a phase of life. 

But y'all... thank God my hope and purpose for living does not rest in my place at freaking Walt Disney World! This is good news! This is freedom. 

It brings me to a sweet place of need for something bigger than myself, bigger than WDW. 

It gives me the opportunity to collect beautiful moments not as what I live for, but as gifts. They are reminders of how seen and loved I am by the Father. 

It brings me to a place of thankfulness for this season and recognition of how fortunate I am to live this life. 

And so I write this quick little note because it's something I noticed creeping into my life and creating a change that I didn't really like. It's something that I feel is relatable; even for those who don't live at the Most Magical Place On Earth and especially for those who crave adventure in the ordinary. My prayer is that no one look at my life and just see Disney... oh wow, I hope my life amounts to more than that. An apology is necessary if I ever make more of Disney than I do of Jesus. He is the legacy that lasts, and the only One that will carry beyond this lifetime. 

Distractions have a way of disguising themselves as really good things like travel and career and Mickey bars, but Jesus will always be better. He makes life worth living.