Yesterday, I got a wonderful chance to hang out with a friend that I am very blessed to have in my life. Walking around frozen Lake Como, updating each other on the last couple of months and big events we noticed that both of us didn't have every good semesters for their own reasons, what ever that may be.
She kinda slowed down and looked at me and said "You know, it got to the point that I just had to start asking myself every night or evening where God showed up and where I kinda messed up. And when I started doing this it really made me slow down and just see."
Once we realize what is going on, we can really stop and see what is going on. When we look to see where God is and what He is trying to do, we don't feel so bad. We have to realize what we are doing first to actually take the step.
If we are on step 3, we can see what we learned from step 1 and 2. But until we take the next step to 4 we won't be able to what we have gotten out of step 3. We won't know what we can learn until we keep taking baby steps.
My aunt teaches violin lessons. Every day before she teaches, she reads a little inspiring quote of the day. Today's quote was "Don't be known just as a person of patience but a person who finds joy in every moment." and if we are finding joy in every moment we will patient people.
My aunts second student was starting to sweat a little bit, so my aunt stopped and asked her "are you getting a little hot and tired?" and the student replied "no, I'm just sweating beads of violin joy." As my aunt had the biggest smile on her face she just said "okay then, here we go we are almost done."
This is a 9 year girl who already understands what it means to find joy in each moment. This is a girl who understands that just because it's uncomfortable and hard that she can still find the joy in it all.
You know, I think that it something to remember because we tend to get a little cranky, a little upset, when things are uncomfortable and hard for us. We tend to stop seeing the joy in the moments stop seeing where God shows up.
After walking around Lake Como, with my dear friend we told each other that we would keep each other accountable to remembering to see where God shows up and where we went wrong and try and figure out how we can fix those things so we can see more joy.
At the end of the day can we look back and see God in the little moments, in the sunset He ants us, in the stranger holding the door when we have a big load in our hand, the cash register telling you to have a beautiful day, someone calling you that put a smile on your face. All these little things that we tend to pass by are all little moments of God saying how much He loves us. And where we go wrong God is giving us a chance to change, to change a mistake and maybe see Him instead of you.
God is with you in the valleys and on the mountain tops. Open your eyes and see all that He is givingr you.
See the joy. See the love.