By Rusty Potter
August has arrived in Northeast Louisiana, and we are feeling it! Temperatures are climbing into the 100s, and the heat index can make it feel even hotter. When you step outside, you don’t have to wonder whether summer is here – you can feel it.
But there’s a lesson in this heat:
Keep it moving!
Now, I’m not telling you to go outside and run around in 100 – degree weather. I am saying stay safe. Drink plenty of cold water. Take breaks. Find some shade or air conditioning. Check on your elderly family members, neighbors, and anyone who may be vulnerable to the heat. Know the signs of heat exhaustion, and don’t ignore what your body is telling you.
But just as we have to learn how to navigate the physical heat, we also have to learn how to navigate the heat that life brings.
Sometimes life turns up the temperature.
The bills get higher. Problems show up unexpectedly. People disappoint us. Plans don’t work out. We experience setbacks, rejections, and times when we wonder, “How am I going to get through this?”
Keep it moving.
If you have to slow down, show down. If you need to rest, rest. If you need to change direction, change directions. But don’t allow a difficult season to convince you that your journey is over.
If you still have breath in your body, you still have a purpose.
You may not be where you want to be, but you’re still here. You still have an opportunity to make a difference. You still have dreams to pursue, people to encourage, lives to touch, and goals to accomplish.
The heat may be on, but don’t let life’s heat stop you.
Take care of yourself. Drink your cold water. Protect your health. Get some rest. Then get back up and keep moving forward.
Progress doesn’t always mean running. Sometimes progress means walking. Sometimes it means taking one small step. But that step still counts.
Northeast Louisiana, as we make our way through these hot August days, stay cool, stay safe, stay encouraged – and whatever you do:
KEEP IT MOVING!
The heat is on, but your purpose is greater than the pressure.
