I am a sucker for a shortcut. Back roads, secret paths, makeup wipes, and wrinkle-free spray are a few of my favorites. If there is a “less work, more chill” way, I’ve explored it. If you’ve thrown your clothes in the dryer to get out the wrinkles, you know exactly what I’m talking about here.

Once {in search of efficiency}, I opted to use the self-cleaning function on my oven. The way I understood it, I would be able to select the function, hit start, and then get on with other things. All this-while my stove cleaned off the accumulated year of grime.

Be sure of this, I only used that feature once. Upon completion, I was alarmed to discover the stove was not only still dirty, but completely dead. I guess you could say the self-cleaning feature was more of an inconvenience than a shortcut. The thing that was supposed to buy me free time sent me straight to the appliance store. Shortcut fail.

Efficiency is my love language and my motivation when considering shortcuts. I’m trying to take back time before it’s even spent. On one hand, I know that sounds lazy, but sometimes it is simply about being spread too thin and looking for creative ways to survive.

Twenty seventeen was rough. Throughout the year, I looked for shortcuts around pain and insecurity. I leaned toward avoidance in relationships, I opted out of volunteering, and I looked for a place to hide until the dust settled. Dealing with the disappointment and hurt required work, and I just wanted to turn a blind-eye and hope for the best.

I wanted a shortcut. Unfortunately, out of sight, out of mind isn’t the antidote for healing. Avoidance doesn’t assure soul restoration. In fact, avoidance happens to be inefficient. It prolongs the process of healing.

I needed my loved ones well. I needed justice to be delivered. I needed my wounded heart to be repaired. I knew that meant walking right into and through the pain.

I am NOT saying this decision was easy. I wanted to abort my mission through the valley many, many times. I cried, prayed, and wrestled through most of the steps my feet took throughout the year. When the shortcut looked far lovelier, I somehow stayed the course.

Shortcuts offer the promise of a faster route and less work. As much as I love efficiency, I can say that some things in life require a long walk in one direction. That’s what I’m calling this decision to walk through the rough spots–a long walk in the same direction toward restoration. It may not be glamorous or efficient, but it is worth the effort.

#MomentofTruthMonday #EfficiencyIsMyLoveLanguage #Shortcuts #SoulRestoration #SelfCleaningDisaster