“…as God’s chosen ones… PUT ON compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,  bearing with one another… forgiving one another… Above all, PUT ON love…” – Colossians 3:12‭-‬14 CSB –

This week has been a busy week. As I prepare to go back to work as well as press the pavement to open Elevate this Fall, I find myself working hard at creating a routine at home that helps me to feel “successful” in faith, as a mom, a wife, and more. Maybe successful isn’t the right word, but when you are busy, with potentially too much on your plate, things that should be a priority like my morning time with God, or actually having breakfast with my kids instead of relying on their independence, fall off. This week I was blessed to do a anniversary date my husband and Grandma. We dressed up and put on pearls, gloves, jewelry and more! Also this week, my daughter decided she wanted a make up party, and asked to put on everything from blush to eye shadow to nail polish for both her and Olivia (yes, regret soon followed). And even yesterday, we encouraged Ethan on his first 5K where he put on his uniform, and then soon put on mud during a most challenging run in the elements! The concept of “putting on” fancy clothes, make up, and uniforms is something that we might not give much thought to some days, but other days I find we give great thought to it. From picking the right headband that reflects peacock feathers from my wedding, to choosing the exact color nail polish, to dressing in the right gear for a race in the elements – many are very conscience of what they “put on.” In Colossians, we are reminded of what God calls us to “put on.” In fact, I find myself truly meditating on these two words today as I feel we as believers can talk about how we are called to treat others, but do we ever stop to think about the fact that we are called to intentionally put on kindness, just as if we were getting dressed for a night out? Or to put on patience, as if applying nail polish with each careful stroke? Sometimes we all are found guilty of rushing through our busy days, attempting to pack so much in that we feel is important to accomplish. If we take a moment to truly “put on” the attributes God calls us to put on each day, just imagine how much more successful in His grace we will feel when our head hits the pillow – regardless if each box was checked on the list or not.