On Simple Joys and Slow Seasons
The other day, I sent a meme to a friend (meme-sending is my love language), and after sending back a laughing emoji, he asked, “How are you doing?”
In slower seasons of life, when I’m in a time of transition or waiting on God to open a door, I hate answering this question because I always want to share something new or exciting that’s happening. So to avoid answering with what I feel, (“My life is going nowhere!”) I usually respond with something like, “Oh, you know, same as always.” After I’d said that I asked him, “How have you been?” and his response caught me off guard.
He said, “I was about to say ‘same’... it feels like more of the same, but…” and then he proceeded to share several small, everyday things from his week that he enjoyed or appreciated and he ended with, “So… pretty good week, come to think of it.”
I don’t know why, but his response really struck me, like, why would I say “same” or “nothing new” or “boring as usual” when I can always find something to delight in? I avoid answering those, “What’s new?” questions from people because I always feel depressed at answering, “Nothing.”
As if my life should be one big, long, never-ending series of exciting events.
As if there aren’t seasons where I’m doing good to put one foot in front of the other and get through the day.
As if there aren’t seasons that are slow, boring, and each day is almost identical to the one before it.
As if there aren’t seasons where I’m waiting on God to open a new door and it feels like He’s forgotten where He put the key. (Just being honest here.)
I responded back with an “Actually, you know what…” and then listed my own little delights from the past few weeks: some new recipes I’ve tried and loved, my light therapy lamp that’s helping me transition into the shorter, darker days of fall and winter, my daily walks where I think and pray and listen.
We messaged back and forth for a while (turns out he’s been walking everyday, too) and it wasn’t lost on me that if we’d both just said, “Nothing new here. Same old, same old,” we would’ve never had that catch-up time and hearing what the other had been up to - even if it’s nothing big or exciting.
We also wouldn’t have the unspoken reassurance that other people go through slow seasons, too, and that days that feel monotonous are actually quite normal. And we definitely wouldn’t have been reminded of the little delights that are present each day if we just learn to pay attention to them.
This conversation with my friend got me thinking about Joy, my word for the year, and how she shows up every single day in thousands of little ways but I often just don’t notice or acknowledge her. I realized that I don’t focus on the little joys or nourish the already-present goodness in my life because I’m too busy wishing something big and exciting was happening.
I’m currently still processing all my thoughts and realizations that sparked from this conversation, but I will say I’m in the process of practicing looking for the little delights in each day, as well as practicing nourishing the goodness that’s already in my life.
Because Joy does pop up whether we notice her or not, and Goodness has been here all along - we just need to turn around and greet her, welcome her, and take her into our boring lives that are turning out to be not so boring after all.
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Hi! I'm Abigail, your real-talk Christian life coach and faith mentor. I believe we're on this earth for a reason, and I LOVE helping people realize and live that truth so that they can reach their God-given potential in all areas of life.
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