It's hard to laugh when things are dark. I remember when a good friend of mine lost a family member in a tragic accident and I felt like I shouldn't be doing even the simplest of tasks. I knew life had to move forward but it was hard for me to laugh and do all these normal things while watching someone I cared about suffering and grieving her loss.
I felt like that again recently. How do I enjoy life laughing and doing silly menial tasks while so many are struggling? So, I did what any sane person does in times like these. I went on Pinterest and searched funny memes. I needed a good laugh. I saved a bunch of these humorous quotes and pictures and sent them to a friend. She probably thought I was crazy when she picked up her phone only to see that I had sent her about thirty texts. I couldn't stop. I went down a rabbit hole of laughter and needed someone to share it with.
We need this. I think one way we can celebrate when darkness surrounds us is by living large. We stand back and realize life is fleeting so we better love hard and well laughing as much as possible in the time we are given. Yesterday I decided I would throw everything aside and swim with the boys. I even got my hair wet. I put on some goggles and we swam, chased, and jumped into the pool. I would go under water and take in the sights. I saw my boys kicking and wiggling and smiling under the deep blue. I watched as their little boy bodies maneuvered through the water knowing those legs would be HUGE sooner rather than later. I watched the red hair of my middle move like soft gentle waves as he swam. I've always loved his copper hair. I noticed their sun-kissed noses and deep belly laughs. We had so much fun. We were free and full of joy. Just what we needed.
I needed a little something to celebrate recently. I have never been a huge fan of the Olympics. Don't hate me. It just wasn't my jam. But this year is different. I needed the Olympics this year. We all did, I believe. There's something about the unity that needs to be celebrated. In a world with so much division and such a lack of joy, it's nice to have something that refreshes us and leads us back to smiling and celebrating with one another regardless of where we come from.
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. I realized that there truly can be joy amidst sorrow." Romans 5:3-5
I realized that we truly can have joy amidst the sorrow. We can celebrate and laugh and play even while mourning. We can live our life fully and freely even when there's fear and doubt. We can because of Jesus. No matter what happens in and around us, there is always hope; hope in Him. There is always a reason to celebrate this life we are given.
I am learning to breath in the everyday: those moments that seem so menial. I am stopping to see the blessings before me. Those moments where I get to fold laundry, swim in the pool on a hot Texas day even though it feels like a bathtub, train my boys to encourage each other instead of tearing one another down, love my husband by doing something for him without expecting something in return bring me joy even though they seem so useless. I have found joy in seeing little feet that can't yet touch the ground and little fingers intertwined in mine. These are the moments and the days that go so quickly but seem to stand still. There is joy here.
And when I turn on the news or read my Facebook feed and I see the death and destruction that surrounds us, I will remember there is still joy and goodness in this world. I can rest because of Him and the price He paid for all of us so that we may experience joy even in the sorrow.
"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness" Psalm 30:11
Now get out there and dance like no one is watching!
Love & Blessings,
Meg
I felt like that again recently. How do I enjoy life laughing and doing silly menial tasks while so many are struggling? So, I did what any sane person does in times like these. I went on Pinterest and searched funny memes. I needed a good laugh. I saved a bunch of these humorous quotes and pictures and sent them to a friend. She probably thought I was crazy when she picked up her phone only to see that I had sent her about thirty texts. I couldn't stop. I went down a rabbit hole of laughter and needed someone to share it with.
We need this. I think one way we can celebrate when darkness surrounds us is by living large. We stand back and realize life is fleeting so we better love hard and well laughing as much as possible in the time we are given. Yesterday I decided I would throw everything aside and swim with the boys. I even got my hair wet. I put on some goggles and we swam, chased, and jumped into the pool. I would go under water and take in the sights. I saw my boys kicking and wiggling and smiling under the deep blue. I watched as their little boy bodies maneuvered through the water knowing those legs would be HUGE sooner rather than later. I watched the red hair of my middle move like soft gentle waves as he swam. I've always loved his copper hair. I noticed their sun-kissed noses and deep belly laughs. We had so much fun. We were free and full of joy. Just what we needed.
I needed a little something to celebrate recently. I have never been a huge fan of the Olympics. Don't hate me. It just wasn't my jam. But this year is different. I needed the Olympics this year. We all did, I believe. There's something about the unity that needs to be celebrated. In a world with so much division and such a lack of joy, it's nice to have something that refreshes us and leads us back to smiling and celebrating with one another regardless of where we come from.
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. I realized that there truly can be joy amidst sorrow." Romans 5:3-5
I realized that we truly can have joy amidst the sorrow. We can celebrate and laugh and play even while mourning. We can live our life fully and freely even when there's fear and doubt. We can because of Jesus. No matter what happens in and around us, there is always hope; hope in Him. There is always a reason to celebrate this life we are given.
I am learning to breath in the everyday: those moments that seem so menial. I am stopping to see the blessings before me. Those moments where I get to fold laundry, swim in the pool on a hot Texas day even though it feels like a bathtub, train my boys to encourage each other instead of tearing one another down, love my husband by doing something for him without expecting something in return bring me joy even though they seem so useless. I have found joy in seeing little feet that can't yet touch the ground and little fingers intertwined in mine. These are the moments and the days that go so quickly but seem to stand still. There is joy here.
And when I turn on the news or read my Facebook feed and I see the death and destruction that surrounds us, I will remember there is still joy and goodness in this world. I can rest because of Him and the price He paid for all of us so that we may experience joy even in the sorrow.
"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness" Psalm 30:11
Now get out there and dance like no one is watching!
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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