When You’re Struggling to Cherish Life
Last week, a friend asked what life’s like with three kids. I told her I hadn’t slept more than one consecutive hour since the newest addition to our family arrived on the scene. I was honest about the chaos and the constantness of this lovely little life we’ve created for ourselves. She smiled and said something about how I should cherish life in this season.
She had good intentions.
It just felt like she wasn’t hearing me.
A day later, standing by the sliding glass door as the lemon-hued petals flutter to the deck, all I can see is a mess that will need to be swept from the muddy beams so that little feet don’t track the hundreds of flowers into the house.
I’m sure these are the moments my friend was alluding to. Sadly, her idealistic maxims hold little weight in the aftermath of a newborn squawking all night and less than three hours of sleep. (Read here if this is you, too.)
When It’s Hard to Cherish Life
I’ve been trying to adhere to my friend’s words and cherish life lately.
I’ve been trying to cherish these days of summer with pattering feet in the hallway at dawn, long afternoons to walk to the frog pond or lie in the sunshine, and sweet moments with this baby boy who emerged on the scene just days ago.
For the most part, I’ve been able to embrace these quiet moments. But if I’m honest, there are plenty of moments that are anything but storybook memories.
Parents of children who spend long summer days at home together know all about these moments. But don’t we all?
Don’t we all know what it is to wake up and promise God that we will be joyful, content, and thankful in every moment of the day, only to come unraveled 30 minutes later over grape juice spilled on beige carpeting or long lines of traffic blocking the way to the day’s assignment?
Don’t we all know what it is to commit to love the people in front of us all day long, only to walk into the workplace and face a critical word from a competitive coworker, a discouraging word from a supervisor, or a dissatisfied message from a client?
When Cherishing Life Feels Too Idealistic
Today, this word, cherish, is just a little too trite for my actual life. It’s a little too idealistic.
Maybe you’ve read words about cherishing your moments and rolled your eyes, too.
It seems that the people who write such admonitions don’t know what it is to suffer. They don’t know what it is to step into the hard parts of your grief or stress or struggles.
And I won’t pretend I know either. But what I do know is this: When I struggle to cherish my moments, it’s time to stand on promises that are always true, regardless of my circumstances.
And here by the deck, I open my daily reading plan, and I read these words:
Oh let those who fear the Lord say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
From my distress I called upon the Lord;
The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. Psalm 118:4-5
These words offer truth for the moments when I can’t seem to find anything to cherish:
1. When it’s hard to cherish life, I begin by thanking God for his unchanging nature and lovingkindness.
In the original language, the word lovingkindness can be translated to love in action. God is always demonstrating his love in action. When the rains of life come, he is there showing his love in action.
When the season wears long, he is there showing his love in action.
Every time the bottom falls out, he is there showing his love in action.
2. When I’m in distress, I begin by calling on the Lord . . .
. . . not mindlessly scrolling through social media for an escape, binge-watching my favorite Netflix series, calling a friend to ask for advice, or opening a quart of ice cream.
I cling to the promise that the Lord hears me when I cry out to him, and even when I don’t sense his response, faith tells me that he hears, and simply believing, by faith, that he hears me is my comfort.
I cling to the promise that the Lord hears me when I cry out to him, and even when I don’t sense his response, I cling to faith my loving Father hears. #prayer #faith #unansweredprayers #encounteringGod Share on X3. When life is hard, I trust God to set me in a spacious place in his perfect timing.
In the original language, the spacious place is figurative for freedom from stress and anxiety. The spacious place is more than a wide-open field with wildflowers and open skies.
It is a safe haven where God’s Spirit covers me and offers an invitation to step out of my worldly cares and into his rest. It is my choice to either cast off the cares or to cling to the false sense of control that tells me I am responsible for my own sense of peace and rest.
God wants to lead his children to the spacious place of rest, a place where we are able to cherish our moments. Until you find his rest, keep pursuing him and trusting him. He will not let you down.
~~~
And so I leave the fallen tulips scattered on the deck. I resign myself to sweep them off the dining room floor later if little feet should track them inside. I pour an extra cup of black coffee to make it through the morning, and I extend the same grace to myself as my Father offers.
This extension of grace to myself feels like the beginning of a new way to cherish these moments, regardless of my shifting circumstances. I might not be able to cherish every moment of this day, but I can find fleeting moments to enjoy.
I can watch the flower petals fall onto the deck.
I can smile as the children splash in the creek.
We can eat lunch on the deck and blow bubbles and make memories.
Every moment won’t be perfect. But we can find fleeting moments to cherish.
You can, too. Ask the Lord to help you. He is waiting.
An Invitation to Help You Slow Down and Cherish Life:
Would you like less stress and deeper peace in life? Do you want to slow down and cherish life? I have a gift for you today. My 21-day devotional Unrushed: Slow Your Pace and Embrace the Fully-Present Life will help you slow down. You will learn to be more present in your moments. Click here, and I’ll send this free resource to your email inbox!
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Calling All Moms and Daughters!
Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can find this book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or buy a print copy for 11.99 right here.
