“You’re always doing something. You do a lot!!!” That’s the statement I’ve heard within the last few years, stemming primarily from my leftover journalistic habits of documenting life as-is via social media. I totally get how someone could think that I do a lot. It’s likely that I do. I get how things might appear as I post pictures, check-ins, blog posts, quotes and the likes, of family, friends and randomly purposed things that pop into my mind or my life on a daily basis. I totally get it. In response, however, what I would like to say when I hear “You do a lot” is “Hunni, just wait. You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Not to replay a full decade of my life, but for ten years straight (straight as in ALL THE WAY THROUGH 2002-2012) I was plagued by multiple “send me to my bed for months) illnesses, unemployment, financial challenges, life-altering loss, faith-testing trials, divorce, death of loved ones, more illness, and a hodge-podge of some other mess in between. That’s over and done with! So, when, finally getting to the place where the Lord allowed me to function without pain (spirit, soul and/or body), rebuild and be restored, maintain sanity in the midst of the most hurtful situations, pray for my enemies, get up out of bed and on with my life, be blessed with new opportunities, have mercy in the midst of my own tomfoolery, count up enough “coins” to do a little somethin’, smile deeply and sincerely and learn to celebrate each and every victory no matter how big or how much bigger I did just that. I have to keep doing as a testament to what God has done (and is still doing)!

You see, the secret to my “do a lot” is that I understand fully how the enemy works. I have to stay busy, helpful, participatory, giving, going, grateful and meaningfully on-the-go to remind him that “one monkey don’t stop no show” as my daddy Sylvester Scott always says. satan (with a lower case “s”) is a master deceiver, and uses isolation and despair to keep us in isolation in despair. I don’t do isolation or despair well. That’s simply not my “stelo” (to revive a term fondly used in the 90s). Sure, there are a lot of reasons, possibly now more than before, that I, like many, could stay holed up in the house pouting and plotting, but I shan’t. (Spoiler alert: new blog post coming soon.) Like most humans, there are circumstances that I could choose to allow to consume me leaving me sad, depressed, bitter, scared or whatever newfangled, uninvited emotion tries to rear its ugly head, but I can’t. (Spoiler alert: new blog posts coming soon.) I, like others could be complaining about how much I don’t have that I used to have or how much I’ve lost, and still haven’t yet recovered, but I won’t. (Spoiler alert: new blog post coming soon.) I could do a lot of non-productive and destructive things, but instead I opt to “do a lot”.

So I do. I “do a lot”, at least in as much as my current lot in life allows. During this new season in my life the Lord has blessed me with wonderful family and friends who are just as grateful for each day as I. We make it a choice to celebrate the small things as if they were gargantuan, because actually they are. In my book, every day is worth appreciating, documenting, capturing and praising God for. So I try my darndest to do just that as often as I can. God has been so good. He takes my little and makes it, well, a lot. He blesses me with favor to be in on a first name basis with the people at Jesse’s for their discounted Ladies’ Night. He often showers me with free tickets to fun stuff. (You didn’t think I was paying a lot to do a lot did you???) He sends super people who pay for me when they don’t even know I can’t pay for myself. He’s unleashed frugal creativity that sometimes blows my mind. He’s given me the ability to make what is free look and sound like it costs a mega-fortune. He provides opportunities for seminars, retreats, conferences, plays, exhibitions and plain ol’ friendly chit-chat to turn into amazingly, unexpected experiences, whether they started out that way or not.

Doing a lot has fared me well. The alternative “angry, down, despondent Angela” just isn’t feasible, or me.  So yeah, I guess I do “do a lot” and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Join me, why don’t you? Try it “doing a lot.” You’ll like it! Nothing says yes to that John 10:10 abundant life like choosing to truly live it, regardless.

@AngelaMMoore316