You ARE A Leader. Yep! Even You!

February 22, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I used to apologize for my very existence. Really! I did! Maybe without realizing it, you do, too.

The first time I clearly remember openly expressing regret for my imperfect existence I had my first featured role in a play. I was a freshman in high school and was very excited to be playing “Agnes Nolan” in the musical, George M!, about the iconic American songwriter, George M. Cohan. (Even if you don’t know his name, you probably know a few of his songs like You’re a Grand Old Flag.) I even had a solo! But, as often happens among young thespians, I was sick the weekend of the play because of not getting enough rest leading up to the performances. I was disappointed knowing that I would not sing as well as I could and, as a true newbie in theatrical endeavors, I had not yet learned to put myself aside and project the character regardless of what happened. So, whenever I sang I made an apologetic gesture to the audience to indicate that I knew what they knew, I wasn’t singing my best. I didn’t realize at the time that I wasn’t really apologizing for my performance. I was apologizing for existing as an imperfect human being. I downplayed anything that was good because I couldn’t see past what wasn’t. It was my pride that needed to declare, “This isn’t my best! Maybe if it was my best I would have a right to be here.”

So, what does that have to do with being a leader? The title of this little post refers to even you being a leader. When I make some kind of regretful acknowledgment for being an imperfect human being I immediately devalue myself.

You Make a Difference. Really. You Do.

February 15, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

I was shocked when she said it. A year had passed since we had to step down from the leadership position where she had been part of our team. When it first happened we had considered leaving the church to avoid the pain, but, after prayer and consideration, we stuck it out. It was incredibly painful at first, but over time life became more "normal", whatever that means. Now, here she was saying, "If you had left, we would have left, too." In the time of our overwhelming grief and confusion over what was happening it never occurred to us that someone was watching how we handled it. But she and her husband were and our choices made a difference for them.

You never know who is watching you. If you were aware that you were being watched, how would you behave differently? Are you consciously working on setting a good, godly example for the people around you? Think about it. Who might be watching you? Your spouse, your children, your co-worker, your neighbor, your extended family? Who is watching the way you respond to your current crisis and what kind of example are you setting for them? If you and I believe that God works everything together for good, might He use your most difficult situation, or mine, as a good example for someone else? I know He will because He I have seen Him do it in my life.

What’s Your Three-Day Story?

February 8, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

Saturday. It means a lot of different things to different people. Maybe for you it’s a day to sleep in. No school. No work. Perhaps it’s a day to catch up on home chores. Or meet a friend, or visit family. Maybe for you Saturday is a day for a new a adventure, a day trip or the start of the vacation of a lifetime. For my mom and dad right now, Saturday is another day at sea looking for a place to come home from.

Sometimes, the world news touches home. In the recent news about coronavirus fears you may have heard the report of a cruise ship that has been denied entry to ports because the ship had picked up passengers in Hong Kong where cases of the virus have been reported. My parents were among the passengers boarding in that city. Let me say that according to my parents and the cruise line no one on the ship is sick. Dad says the cruise line has done it’s best to make the best of a bad situation, but the cruise as planned is cancelled and the one goal now is to find a place from which to let the passengers go home. What was supposed to be a cruise to sites in Asia has become a different kind of adventure, one for which the conclusion has not yet been written.

The truth is that we are all in the same kind of adventure. In your life and mine things rarely go as we have planned them, right? You are in the middle of a situation right now where the end is still unclear, aren’t you? Me, too, and I am not just talking about my parents’ situation! I know how I’d like it to resolve, but I can’t make it happen. When you think about your current unplanned adventure, does it make you anxious? Can I share something with you that has helped me to navigate this kind of time with hope?

God’s Will? Be Joyful, Prayerful and Thankful

February 1, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

It was a life-changing, perspective-shifting moment. I was in college, overwhelmed by an emotional situation that wasn’t going the way I wanted it to go and I was miserable. I was a member of the Geneseo Chamber Singers and we were heading back to town after a trip to Boston. As I sat in the back seat of the bus feeling extremely sorry for myself (a very familiar feeling at that time, by the way) I had a sudden revelation. I would say it was one of the first times that I became aware that the Holy Spirit was revealing something to me. I was immediately conscious that being miserable was my choice, had been my choice and didn’t have to be my choice. It was the beginning of Lent and I made a decision to give up being miserable for Lent. Truly, I did! My life has never been the same because after that Easter, the end of those forty days of Lent, I have never gone back to being miserable.

I’ll be honest that for a while I overdid the positive perspective and ignored anything negative without dealing with it, but over the years I think that I have found my balance. Balance comes as I acknowledge what is and choose to trust God’s goodness in the midst of it.

Where Do You Fit?

January 25, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

Have you ever worked a puzzle only to find that when all is said and done you are missing a piece? You look all around the table, on the floor, in every nook and crevice, but the piece is nowhere to be found. In that horrifying moment you realize that although you may have 999 pieces of your puzzle, without number 1000 your puzzle isn't complete. That sense of satisfaction and accomplishment you were expecting slips away as soon as you realize the disappointing truth. Your puzzle is not complete and never will be complete because that last piece is missing. The empty place where your renegade shape should fit becomes the only thing you can see in the beautiful landscape puzzle you have hovered over for days. Don't you hate that?!

So, what do yo do with the entire puzzle then?

There’s A Place For You At The Table

January 18, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

You arrive late to the event. Everyone is seated at the beautifully decked tables. The room itself seems to sparkle. The fine china is set. The centerpieces add color, beauty and fragrance to the elegant room. The sounds of a string quartet hang softly in the air. You look around hesitantly, hopeful that there will be a seat, embarrassed at your lateness. The host sees you and eagerly greets you, leading you to a place prepared for you. Your name is displayed in gold, scrolling letters on a place card. You sit, relieved that your place has not been given away, and, honored to be welcomed and cared for by such a gracious host. Your place has been prepared and kept for you. And then, you are overwhelmed to realize that you have been honored with a place at the host’s own table!

My friend, when it comes to God’s story on the earth, there is a seat for you at the King’s table. Like a banquet, God has reserved seating at His table and He has kept a place for you. Isn’t that amazing?!

You Really Do Make A Difference

January 11, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You are unique.” How many times have you heard that in your lifetime? It’s a familiar phrase, but have you ever really taken the time to consider it? Take some time to think about your personality, gifts and talents. What does your uniqueness say about God and His purposes for you?

I’ve learned that knowing myself and my uniqueness is part of knowing God better. The better I know myself, the clearer God’s purpose for me becomes. And I am always learning more, which keeps me growing and reaching further for what He has ahead. As I learn what I am good at, I begin to see what I can do for Christ. I have a clearer picture of His character, plan and purposes and how I fit into them.

How about you, my friend? Here are some things I know about you:

A Resolution For 2020

January 4, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

The year begins with fireworks and bells clanging. People shouting. Confetti falling. I join the celebration. My face smiles, but there is a nagging gnawing within. ”In this chaos and the sea of faces, does anyone really see me? Does my life matter to anyone or am I just a dot in the middle of a thousand other dots? Who sees me? God, do You see me?”

Isn’t that the gnawing question we all ask? “Does anyone really see me? Does my life matter?” Dear Friend, here at the start of 2020, I want to offer you an answer to that question that could help anchor you through whatever lies ahead in this new year. You can know that you matter because God loves you. Simple? Yes, but profound. How deeply have you assimilated that truth? Has it moved beyond knowledge to experience? What if you and I made a resolution to live out that truth in 2020? Let’s think about it together.

Take A Deep Breath And Take The Next Step

December 28, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Time to take a deep breath and turn into the future!.png

I followed my friend’s directions...I thought. But here I am at a “T” in the road. Now what?! Right or left? I am not really sure which way is correct, but I know what I can’t do. I cannot stay here with a line of traffic behind me. I have to make a choice. I have to go somewhere! I take a deep breath, put on my signal blinker and turn. Here goes!

Maybe you’ve been in that kind of situation as well. You might be right there at this point in your life. The end of a year. The beginning of a new one. Which way do I turn now?

We all ask the same questions. Which is the right way to choose? What is the right thing to do. Which direction should I head in? How is this all going to turn out?

You and I have things that we want to do. For those of us who are believers, even nominal believers, we want to know God’s will. We often get stuck because we feel like there is only one right way to go and if we mess it up we will have ruined our whole life and God’s plan. That is a pretty big failure, messing up God’s plan! Who wants that kind of responsibility?! Maybe you say to yourself, “I guess I will just make no decision. Stay where I am. Change nothing. Isn’t that safer? Isn’t it better to stay where I am than to mess everything up?”

Tribute To A Brave Heart

December 21, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

I had a plan. I had a plan for what I was going to write about this week. I had even begun to write it. Then something happened that changed my plan. Something totally unexpected. Something world-altering. My friend Christine lost her valiant battle with cancer, but, through her faith, she won the ultimate victory.

She didn’t want to be known as a victim of cancer, so I want to emphasize what she has won over what she lost. But I have lost a great deal, and you have, too, even though you may not have known her. She is one of those people who made the world a better place just by being in it. Her friendship made an impact on me and who I am, so if I make an impact on you at all, Christine is part of that. Even though she has left us, her influence continues, so she makes the world a better place by the legacy she leaves. She left a legacy of passion, courage and love.

Passion defines how we face life. What we are passionate about influences our words, our decisions and our attitudes. Christine was a woman full of passion. When you spoke with Christine about anything at all there was an intensity in her eyes as she intently listened and responded. She didn’t do anything half-heartedly.