I’ve been spending my mornings in Ecclesiastes and every day I’m reminded why I love this book so much. Solomon is filled with such wisdom and his words ring true, even thousands of years later. I am frequently coming across verses and passages that affirm my reason behind this blog – to find joy in the every day moments of life. Not in the big, fancy, extravagant, or well planned moments but the simple, lovely, normal moments.
“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life — this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. ”
Have you accepted your life as a gift from God or do you find yourself dreaming of more? Of what he has or what she is doing? I’m not saying dreaming of the future is wrong, I don’t believe planning and working towards goals is wrong at all. But are they achievable dreams or are they fantasies that are taking you away from the here and now? I certainly don’t want to turn around one day and realize that I’ve wished away my life pining after something I will never have.
I will admit that I struggle with this sometimes. I do often dream of big houses with double or triple our current square footage. I look at house plans and houses currently on the market to see what I like and don’t like. I want to have a larger home because there is a good chance that our five children will each marry (then there are 10) and have children (I can’t even begin to think how many grandkids we could have!) and our little house will never hold everyone for a meal or family gathering. We have trouble fitting all of us when one set of grandparents comes to visit! But focusing on these big houses with their wide open layouts and price tags that are astronomical is no way to spend my day. Instead I can be a good steward of the home God has blessed us with and be smart with our finances so that in the future we might afford a larger home (but probably not the ones I’m looking at).
These early years of parenting are rough. I got pooped on three times yesterday by the potty training twin boys. The girl goes back and forth between smothering us with kisses and screaming that we are not to talk to her. It’s easy to think about the years to come when they all know how to wipe their own butts or can verbalize their emotions a little better. But every age comes with a struggle. Almost as soon as you are out of the early years with incredibly dependent children they hit the hormonal stage and you are dealing with all those changes plus the interests and struggles that come with the adolescent years. I’m so not ready for that. I want to soak up these early years and enjoy it so I’m not “brood[ing] over the past” or wishing away the years to get to the future.
It’s not always easy to stay present and accept that this is life. That life is all about dishes and cooking, dirty clothes and clean clothes, snotty noses and wet diapers. But to accept it and enjoy it is a gift from God. I want that gift! I want to love this messy, insane, wild, mundane, normal, every day life, each and every day. You in?
I’m linking this up over at 152 Insights to My Soul for Three Word Wednesday.
How do you make sure you are enjoying your life and “accepting your lot”? Do you find yourself wishing away time or dreaming of impossible things instead of living the life you have?
