Simply Tuesday , livre ebook

© 2015 by Emily P. Freeman
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www . revellbooks .com
Ebook edition created 2015
Ebook corrections 11.18.2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-2332-6
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007
Scripture quotations labeled Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
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Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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“ Simply Tuesday has done my soul a world of good. It’s a beautiful invitation to slow down, embrace our smallness and our ordinary moments, and to enjoy the company of our Creator in each one. It’s helped me to know how to live out the song I sang as a child, ‘This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it.’ This book is like a deep breath for my soul.”
— Ellie Holcomb , Dove Award–winning singer/songwriter
“We live in a time where we are led to believe that everything bigger is better and something in my soul has been telling me for a while now that isn’t necessarily the case. And that’s why I am so thankful for Emily Freeman’s new book, Simply Tuesday . Emily has a way of putting an idea on the page in a way that is heartfelt and authentic and paints a picture that you’ve seen in your head but been unable to articulate. Simply Tuesday is a call to appreciate the small, simple things in life, and as I read it I found myself breathing a deep sigh of relief and nodding my head yes and basically underlining every other sentence. Do yourself a favor and read this call to simplicity by Emily. You won’t regret a minute of it!”
— Melanie Shankle , New York Times bestselling author of Nobody ’ s Cuter Than You
“ In a world where bigger, better, faster, and louder are celebrated and valued, it may seem silly to go on a search for smallness. Simply Tuesday proves why such a journey is not only important, but is vital to a fulfilling existence. Within the pages of this beautifully crafted book, Emily Freeman reveals how the kingdom of God can be found in the ordinary days, quiet moments, openhanded surrenderings, and honest confessions. Whether you are looking for meaningful standards of success, relief from worldly comparison and pressure, or direction for your lost soul, Simply Tuesday promises a journey with great rewards. ”
— Rachel Macy Stafford , New York Times bestselling author of Hands Free Mama
“It doesn’t hold the thrill of a new beginning or the anticipation of almost-finished. It’s simply Tuesday. An ordinary day filled with beautiful, breathtaking moments I missed, until Emily Freeman taught me how to see. Through small-moment living, my hurried heart is learning how to slow down and savor. How to search less and find more. How to leave margin in my schedule and sacred space in my days to let my soul breathe. If you are tired of wanting more while secretly longing for less, this book is for you!”
— Renee Swope , bestselling author of A Confident Heart ; Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Radio c ohost of Everyday Life with Lysa & Renee
“For years, my vision for Larry has been that he live more settled , grounded in his identity in Christ and in his calling from Christ.” ( Rachael )
“And my vision for Rachael, an ongoing prayer, is that she rest , aware that nothing she does deepens that beauty of her already Christ-revealing soul. We sense that heeding Emily’s counsel to live on Tuesday, slowing down enough to experience life’s small moments, will move us toward those visions . Simply Tuesday could move you toward the settled rest that Jesus provides.” ( Larry )
— Dr . Larry Crabb , author of Fully Alive ; director of NewWay Ministries
— Rachael Crabb , coauthor of Listen In : Building Faith and Friendship through Conversations That Matter
“Emily Freeman is a compassionate friend on the journey. Her gentle words and charming spirit shine a warm and glittery light on all that is beautiful in our ordinary days and our everyday ways. What if there is blessing in the way of small beginnings? What if God takes great delight in the simple acts of bench-sitting and gate-opening and being kind to our next-door neighbor? What if the kingdom of God is built on tiny, little gestures on simple days like Tuesday? Emily invites us to consider the grace in God’s counterculture invitation to embrace small things; things like the one-inch living of a simple Tuesday. This book is a delight and a gift.”
— Deidra Riggs , author of Every Little Thing ; blogger at Jumping Tandem
“Emily Freeman is a writer after my own heart. She’s not afraid to be quiet, to move at a leisurely pace, and to think probably a little too hard about things. She believes that meaning and delight and revelation are found in the small moments. Her writing will slow you down, help your soul exhale, and show you that Tuesday, and every ordinary day, is full of magic.”
— Adam S . McHugh , author of The Listening Life : Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction
“Many of us are living at an unhealthy pace. We run from one task to another to another. We end up skimming the surface of life. This book challenges us to be present in the moments that we find ourselves in, and to live at depth with others.”
— Dave Runyon , coauthor of The Art of Neighboring
“Emily Freeman writes like a trusted friend and speaks countercultural good news to all of us. In a society where more is more, her desire to celebrate her ‘smallness’ is refreshing and inspires us to pay attention to what God is doing in the ordinary everyday of our lives. I deeply resonated with these themes.”
— Jill Phillips , Dove Award–winning singer/songwriter
To my Tuesday people in Greensboro with love and gratitude, for saving a seat on the bench
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Dedication 9
Introduction 13
One inch above the ground
Part 1: Discovering Our Tuesday Home 21
1. Cities & Benches 23
An accidental sighting of the kingdom of God
2. Moments & Time 39
Counting the smallest day of the week
3. Gates & Cul-de-Sacs 55
Uncovering the home we bring with us
Part 2: Embracing Our Tuesday Work 69
4. Effort & Outcomes 71
The truest job description of every believer
5. Success & Envy 86
Accepting the importance of our right-now work
6. Stairwells & Stages 98
Learning to receive the gift of obscurity
Part 3: Finding Our Tuesday People 115
7. Community & Competition 117
Finding safe places to feel insecure
8. Children & Grown-Ups 131
An invitation to move downward with gladness
9. Honesty & Maturity 143
Learning to relate in the power of the Spirit
Part 4: Accepting Our Tuesday Soul 157
10. Prayer & Questions 159
Making friends with the fog
11. Desire & Disappointment 171
Why clarity is overrated
12. Confession & Laughter 183
Why lightheartedness is the truest kind of miracle
Part 5: Seeing beyond Tuesday 203
13. Vision & Contentment 205
Learning to let love lead
14. Endings & Beginnings 218
Casting a hopeful vision for the future
15. Tuesday & Everything After 231
Living well in ordinary time
Note to Reader 243
Acknowledgments 244
Notes 247
About the Author 251
Books by Emily P. Freeman 252
Back Ads 253
Back Cover 257
Introduction
One Inch above the Ground
W hen Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God, where did he intend for us to look? And how will we know when we’ve found it?
Certainly I won’t find it here, in my home office with the unswept rug, my unwashed hair, and a to-do list that outnumbers the stars. And yet, that seems to be exactly where Jesus pointed when the Pharisees asked him when the kingdom of God would come.
Specifically, he answered them this way: “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:20–21 NIV).
Someone once pointed out to me how, even though we always think of heaven as up—beyond the clouds, above the weather, and over the rainbow—it may not actually be far up.
“What if,” this person wondered, “heaven is simply one inch above the ground?”
It’s still up, but it’s not so far away. Instead the kingdom of God exists right here in the moments where we live.
On