Make Room for the Moments
Published Sep 19, 2023
By Gaye Lindford
A personal reflection for you today …
“Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live.” (Emphasis mine.)
Anna Quindlen wrote those words in “A Short Guide to a Happy Life.” This very short book is a gift to anyone wanting to live a full, rich life. Her words call me to reflect on what it means to “get a life.”
That little book caught my attention from its place on my bookshelf today. I picked it up and sat and re-read it, nodding my head, and whispering “Yes” to the nuggets she invited me to think about.
When I finished the last page, I smiled, thinking back to my morning’s Bible study readings. How the words from the Bible and her thoughtful book synchronized so beautifully.
As followers of Jesus, we are promised a full, abundant life. (John 10:10)
Where do we find this full, abundant life? Through His presence and His promises. Walking with Him.
I read Psalm 16:9-11 this morning:
This is a good life – my heart is good, my soul is full of joy, and my body is at rest. Who could want for more? You will not abandon me to experience death and the grave or leave me to rot alone. Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment. (The Voice)
(I read those verses in the New International Version, The New Living Translation, and The Voice. Each of them brings the same message with such clarity and hope.)
What Anna Quindlen reminded me of was this: I can’t wait for all the good things God has planned for me to just drop from the sky. As I walk with Him, I must notice. Look for the beauty. See the lessons and the moments that bring true joy and contentment. Make room for them.
Yes. There are good things waiting for us. And they are usually intermingled with hard things. And on those days, you can’t just peel back the clouds to find the good, you have to climb through them to find even one ray of joy.
We live in the tension of the good and the hard.
And God is still – always – faithful to keep His promise. He has good things planned for us.
If your heart needs a refresh today, make room for moments. People and memories and events that make you smile. Moments that remind you of the good right in front of you.
Look for the small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement.
This page contains an Amazon affiliate link for a book I love. If you purchase it through this link, your cost will be the same, but I may receive a commission. I only link to books and products I personally love!
