Have you been there? I feel as though I could easily turn to despair; wondering; questioning. But the beauty of a relationship with Jesus is......He doesn't let us fall into despair. He holds fast to our hand and reminds us, "My ways are not your ways; my thoughts are not your thoughts." He assures us with a whisper, "Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." Isaiah 41:10
As I have been able to rest in the Word, I have been able to focus a bit more on what I need to learn from all this. This isn't rocket science or anything new for me or you but I want to share the two areas He is encouraging me be "mindful of" in the coming days:
1. Have an eternal mindset: This is not our home - we are just passing through and our goal is to take as many with us as possible. My calendar, day, friendships, marriage, parenting, words, and actions all need to be filtered with eternity in mind. Ask the Lord to help you with this mindset and that it is at the forefront of every interaction. Then at the end of the day we can evaluate and ask ourselves, "What did I do today that pulled others toward Him?"
2. Spend just a bit more .........: You fill in the blank. For me, it's to slow down and spend just a bit more time in every interaction. A bit more interest, a bit more empathy, a bit more of a linger in my kiss with Kevin, a bit more time to truly appreciate the joy in my children's silliness or play, a bit more time when I ask "how are you?"
You see, the truth is, life is brief and it is so easy to get focused on "all that has to be done" or striving for what I have calculated as "success" that I miss the beauty in every day and the relationships that God has placed in my path. So today, spend some time seeing just a bit more of His beauty in every little detail....a sunset, a baby, giggles, wrinkles around the eyes (from all the smiles), or just the presence of your loved ones around.
Please help me out this week.......share with me what you spent "just a bit more" on in your life......it will bring joy to my soul.
Live Well,
Tracie