enjoy

THE “Aaaaah!” MOMENTS

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COFFEE . CHILD DRINKING

I (Jesus) came that they may have and enjoy life,
and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
John 10:10 Amplified Bible

When I get up each morning, the first words out of my mouth are “Good morning, Father. Good morning, Jesus. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Thank you for abiding with me.” Isn’t that a lovely way to start the day? : ) …But then my day really starts! I amble to the kitchen, start my coffee, feed the cat, fix my lunch and sit down for my devotional with a fresh cup of coffee. But my eye is never far away from the clock. I glance up again as the cuckoo rudely interrupts me to remind me that my time is limited. I’ve got to get up and get ready…just five more minutes…now three, two, one …time is up! Now the race is on! I jump up (literally) and head for the closet to pick out my clothes for the day. I have a walk in closet overflowing with clothes and shoes, besides two more in other bedrooms, but what am I going to wear?! I just don’t have anything! (Lord, forgive me.) I pick out an outfit and lay it on the bed. After showering and doing make-up I put it on and…oh my goodness, it shrunk the last time I washed it! (Yeah, really?) Bummer! I have to find something else. By this time that cuckoo is screaming its head off…”You’re going to be late, you‘re going to be late, you’re going to be late…again!” I finally make it to the car and I’m on my way. Oh, no, I forgot my cell phone. Can’t do without that! I turn around and go back to get it. Then I get behind an elderly lady headed for the Piggly Wiggly with her weekly grocery list. She is oblivious to my presence behind her. She doesn’t believe in driving over thirty-five miles per hour and there’s no place to pass on these country roads. “Lady, you need to turn in your car keys!” I didn’t say it…only thought it (or maybe I did say it that time). Anyway, by the time I get to work, I have to consciously calm myself and settle down. You get the picture…probably very vividly.

Life shouldn’t be that way. I spend five out of every seven days in this routine. I need to change something! Some things about it I can’t change. I can’t change the fact that I need to get to work on time. But I can change my attitude and maybe even do a little more preparation. (Me…preparation?…did I say that in the same sentence?!). I just read a statement that made me think about all of this. “Today should be savored, not gulped down.” A preacher I often listen to talked about how he and his siblings used to sit with his dad and drink a cup of coffee in the morning…probably on Saturday and probably the coffee was half milk. But he said his dad would take a sip and then say “Aaaaah”. After a while all of the kids were following suit. Everyone would take a sip of coffee and in unison say, “Aaaaah.” That is the perfect picture of a savored moment!

I know that every moment in life can’t be savored. There are times that we just barely get through. But we can enjoy a lot more of those moments if we make a conscious effort. We can choose to be hurried without being harried. Next time we find ourselves getting caught up in the “rat race” so to speak, let’s mentally pour a cup of coffee, take a sip, sit back and say “Aaaaah!”

SAVOR THE SEASON

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RAINDANCE

There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Ecclesiastes 3:1

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
Genesis 8:22 NLT

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly
and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap,
if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Galatians 6:9 AMP

Yesterday I was thinking about the seasons. Actually I was thinking about the fact that fall is almost gone and winter is fast approaching with its dreary skies and cold weather.  The time change has just gone into effect and now it will be dark when I get home from work. To put it mildly…I really dislike winter!  It’s my least favorite season of the year.

But then, I have to admit, winter has its perks…Thanksgiving with its proverbial feast of roast turkey with dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Then comes Christmas, the most wonderful holiday of the year when we celebrate our Lord’s birth with gift giving and receiving and fellowship with family and friends. So the dilemma is evident… will I enjoy the season I’m in or will I spoil the good times by dwelling on the bad? The choice is entirely up to me.

It is an indisputable fact that we cannot control the seasons, neither the natural seasons nor the seasons in our lives. But it is also an absolute fact that we can trust the God who created them and who has complete control over them. And He promised, after the great flood described in the Book of Genesis, that as long as the earth remains, the seasons will come and go as usual. And even though there may be one that we prefer, each season has its own joys and sorrows. I love the spring and summer, but along with the sunshine and flowers comes the mowing of grass and trimming of shrubs. I don’t particularly like the winter, but I do like snuggling beside a crackling fireplace with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.

I’m certain you get my point by now. Learn to enjoy the season you’re in! Don’t let negative thoughts surface and drown out the positive aspects of each season. I don’t know who originated this saying, but it is one of my favorites…”Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain!” If I had waited for all of the storms in my life to pass before enjoying it, I would have had a dismal existence. In order to survive the storms, I had to learn to dance in the rain…and I’m still dancing! I refuse to let the devil dampen my spirit. He may try to rain on my parade, but I have the umbrella of God’s promises at my disposal. He may whip up the winds and turn my umbrella inside out. But if he does, I won’t miss a step as I continue to dance in the rain!