008 drift to alignment
A few months ago, I was out in the ocean with my daughter. We were talking and laughing, jumping waves, and watching people around us do the same. At some point, we looked up and realized we were nowhere near where we started. The current had quietly carried us down the beach.
We hadn’t meant to drift. But we had.
That’s how life often works, isn’t it?
You start close to what matters — your faith, your family, your sense of purpose — and before long, the current of busyness, expectation, and noise pulls you somewhere you never intended to be.
No one chooses to drift. It just happens when we stop noticing.
That’s why alignment matters. It’s the practice of looking up — of re-orienting to the shoreline of what’s true and good. It’s the pause that reminds you who you are, what you value, and where you actually want to go.
It’s not fun to be misaligned.
The work of alignment isn’t about guilt or getting everything perfect. It’s about awareness. It’s about remembering that one degree shifts in the right direction, made often, can prevent you from ending up miles away from where your heart wants to be.
So here’s a simple reflection for the week:
Where in your life might you have drifted?
And what one small movement could help you come back toward the shore?
Because sometimes the most faithful thing we can do — in the waves of ordinary life — is to stop, look up, and realign.
Big Ideas
The right “what if” question: Joshua Fields Millburn of the Minimalists in Everything That Remains says to stop asking what if in the wrong way. We used to always ask “What if?” with so much optimism, but now the only time we seem to ask it is out of fear…we get to choose. So: What if I succeed?
Honor capacity and constraints: Overwhelm and peace do not coexist. When you think you have cut things back enough to honor capacity and restraints you are probably only halfway there. (taken from a Full Focus webinar this past week)
Your Next Step: Dr. Henry Cloud reminds us that, “your next step always depends on two ingredients: how well you are maximizing where you are right now and how ready you are to do what is necessary to get to the next place.”
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What I’m still reading (give me a break I’ve got 3 kiddos!)
Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray (If you’re a Star Wars fan, send me your favorite novel!)
On the Road With Saint Augustine by James K.A. Smith
What I’m listening to
My church had the privilege of welcoming Tyler Staton of Bridgetown Church in Portland to preach on the Holy Spirit and his recent book called The Familiar Stranger. Regardless of your view on the Holy Spirit, I’d encourage you to listen to this refreshing and life-giving message.
Quote for reflection
From Andy Crouch on Liquidity:
“We live in a world of liquid wealth. We have autonomy over our wealth. We can carry it around and exchange it for other things. Everything is able to be liquidated and interchangeable. You can move wherever you want. Liquidity is the defining feature of modernity.”
Stay Aligned,
Mark