Choosing to Receive the Little

Last night I finished “Grace for the Good Girl” by Emily Freeman. It was a great book and I gleaned a lot of truth from it! I sense some future blog posts based on truths I learned while reading the book.

Today I want to share what spoke to my heart as I finished the book last night.

“One practical way to set our minds when it all goes wrong is to practice receiving truth in small ways when things go right.”

Last night I needed this reminder. I was feeling overwhelmed, tired, questioning this journey to write a book. It takes a lot to build a platform and finding time to write is another hard task when you have a soon-to-be 8-month-old. I felt like a grey cloud was hovering above my head.

Then I read as Emily shared how she is trying to stop in the middle of the mundane, open her eyes and receiving the blessings God has. In her words, “Most of the time I am in survival mode, just thankful to make it to bedtime.”  (That was me last night! I could have pulled the covers over my head at 6:30 p.m.)

She writes, “Small gifts are in quiet places. They hide under piles of daily tasks, waiting to be discovered and celebrated. That’s why I think Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread – not bread to last a lifetime, but bread to last this day. It was a call to dependence, a call away from self-sufficiency, a call to turn to the Giver, a call to humbly and thankfully receive.”

So today I will strive to find the small gifts buried beneath the piles of laundry and stacks of dishes. Will you join me? As Emily says, “To find lovely in the ordinary sometimes takes a bit of work, but the more I look for it, the more quickly it shows up.”

What gifts have you found today? Here are a few of mine….

• My 8-month-old alarm clock goes off and I wake up, already overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. Then I go into his room and he smiles, so excited to see his mommy!
• As I pick up toys and start laundry, I hear his giggles and squeals (all because of a tiny dog giving him kisses) and my heart is happy!
• As I pack our bags to go to Texas and Jackson plays, a rare summer rain dances outside the window.
• As I go to the grocery store to buy Jackson’s $35 a can formula, I am reminded how God has provided for us so that I can stay at home with my Little Man.