Even the slimmest festivities of the heart expand our capacity to enjoy and obey God. They remind us to rummage for God in every situation and declare his goodness on the darkest of days.
Some days are hard. If a day is just hard and I can point to the source, I have the fortitude and strength to put a plan together and move through it. If, however a day is hard and I don’t know why…can’t put my finger on it…don’t know the source of the melancholy, those days are hard for me to lift out of.
As I sit in the midst of such days, I simply MUST find a way to remember that another type of day will come. When I must…I remember these things:
The slow blinking eyes of a cat “kiss”
Being known well enough to have a friend say “What do you need?” without my saying a word
Baby hands clutching your shirt or scarf or hair as they cling to you while you hold them
The feel of sunshine on bare arms and legs
Opening a book and seeing words…which are worlds…and the ability to travel those words to a different place
The crackling of a campfire…or a fireplace…or a fire pit
Fresh strawberries
Heavy covers in a cold room
Music…all kinds of music…beats and riffs, long notes, melodies, harmonies, and lullabies
The constancy of the ocean or lake or pond or river
The smell upon entering a library
Small kindnesses…all of them…can bring you through the strangely difficult day. Remarkable moments that look unremarkable to the outsider not living in the moment…those moments heal the lowness and move you on your progression towards “up”. To catch these moments, you must stop when they are happening. You must snuggle into them so that they become memories rather than just the passing of a good time. It is in memories that we live on the hard days. The light of a blessing is bring enough to move into our dark days and raise the dimness so that we see our way to the door…the door to the next moment. The happy moment. The joyful moment.
What is on your list?
What do you need to do to stand still in the good moments and store them for another day?
Whatever it is…I beg you…do it. Build a card catalog of good moments to draw on when the power seems to go out on your day.
Live in the midst…always