I haven’t thought about my “one word” for 2020 much this year (that reminder post is coming soon!). This week, it confronted me front and center.
I started Ann Voskamp’s “One Thousand Gifts” study this week* and in session one my journal entry was, “Attend to the moment.” Hmmm… Sounded familiar. So when preparing for this I let it sink in that my “one word” was “available or present.” Digging a little further, one of my 5 intentions for the year was to “Feel the full expression of joy.” I am presuming that I intended doing that by being more present (i.e. “attending to the moment” more often).
I’ve reflected on this and I’ll give myself a bit of grace here and say I have done better than prior years. Partly that is the season of life I find myself in (If you are raising kids still or knee deep in school work or launching a career, this is truly difficult), and partly, it’s due to some great wisdom gleaned from terrific authors who have mentored me in this area via their work (Voskamp, Lyons, TerKeurst).
My dear friend Gretchen and my sister, Lisa, are role models for me by constantly pointing me to God’s beauty all around us –– often sending snapshots of the sunrise or morning walks. Redirecting ourselves to creation –– to immersing ourselves in the magic that is all around us –– takes a bit of intention, but the payoff is tremendous. Attending to the leaves changing colors, the wind carrying them off, and the animals preparing for winter. That alone is just incredible to observe and a reminder of the simplicity and complexity of God’s creation. All of these things… are gifts that God gives us freely if we simply will be aware.
My “Simple Thoughts Sunday” today is a call for us to truly dive into the season at hand. There is a lot of loss around us –– a lot of noise around so many topics, and yet, we can watch each sunset, knowing that God is in control and that tomorrow brings new hope and an opportunity to attend to finding and delivering joy. Praying you all have an incredible Thanksgiving week.
* It coincides with the season, and I assure you, it’s one of the best books you will read- If you aren’t a reader, jump on the video sessions that started last week, so you can catch up easily.