By: Donna Bucher
“Let
every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”
Working in hospice and palliative care often reminds me of the
brevity of life. Facilitating a life review is one of the ways we bring comfort
to the dying patient and family. Everyone finds solace in a life well-lived;
believing you made a difference by leaving your footprint on this earth.
These life reviews, often painful, always poignant contain
ordinary moments made extraordinary by the passing of time. Most contain a
hunger for more of the moments I often rush through or barely acknowledge. More
time lingering outdoors in nature, watching a sunrise/sunset, more hugs,
playing that "one, more, game" with their little ones, longer gazes
at loved ones, saying and hearing "I
love you" more. In short, "celebrating joy moments in the
every day."
My pursuit of joy, like a crazy scavenger hunt, offered no
clarity for the object of my search, but I was sure I failed in finding it.
Each discovery gave me a moment of Joy, only to send me back to the chase for
something bigger and better.
All of which predictably left me disillusioned and dissatisfied.
Until during a recent prayer time seeking God for the missing "joy"
nugget I expected, He asked me a question which brought me up short. Simply put:
"Why search far and wide for
something right in front of your eyes?"
After the question dawned in my heart, a picture of Christmas
morning many years ago when my children opened gifts, vividly danced through my
mind. Each child ripped through wrapping paper, briefly glanced at the
unwrapped gift, tossed it aside and reached for the next package. Finally all
the unopened gifts sat strewn across the living room, viewed by disappointed
faces; no more gifts to unwrap.
In a way, this picture equaled my Joy Journey: seeking,
grasping, glancing and setting aside, continually looking for "more",
when my life stood strewn with joys barely acknowledged, much less cherished.
Ashamed, I looked around and listened for joy's lesson in celebrating joy moments
in the every day.
When
praise and gratitude mingle with the everyday moments, we find Joy in their
midst.
Simple pleasures like my "girls" as I call them,
bless me with their love, hugs, smiles and time on a regular basis. Delighting
in my youngest daughter, and her little girl’s place in my life, their unique
personalities, and accomplishments offers me a privilege neither deserved nor
promised.
The joy of playing with my little Grace and watching her grow
fills my eyes with tears. Walking with my daughter as she single parents her
little love with both gentleness and determination delights my heart on even
the hardest days.
Spending time in my garden truly brings me joy, if I spend
time in my garden. Instead I often choose chores, soaking in discontent, or
again, simply rushing past it on the search for something better.
Celebrating
joy in the ordinary moments requires eyes desiring to see and ears to hear, especially in the garden.
God’s voice speaks clear, gentle and true in the garden like
nowhere else. Perhaps because in the first garden He initiated intimate
fellowship with man; or perhaps because His Presence echoes beautiful through
His creation.
My greatest joy comes in the everyday moments with my God. He
steps into every moment of my day. Significant, mundane, fraught with anxiety,
or pillaged with trial, these ordinary moments strung together equal my life,
and He abides faithful within them.
Celebrating
Joy in the ordinary moments transforms even painful moments into an altar of
gratitude.
Like an intricately woven garment of infinite splendor, Joy
and gratitude abide as one. Inseparable, they profoundly conform our soul's
image to that of Christ through the most mundane of moments.
Truly hungering for a deeper understanding and experience of Joy,
compels me forward in my journey. But the recent pause to treasure the
abundance of Joy moments present in the everyday, beckons me to a slower pace.
For the joy found in ordinary moments contains God's gift of Himself.
Find more encouragement and FREE Resources at Serenity in Suffering!
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What a precious reminder this is, Donna, to not rush through life, but rather to use the eyes and ears (both physical and spiritual) to appreciate and enjoy the fact that He is indeed in every moment of our lives. Thank you. 💜💚
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