Finding Joy and Contentment Today

My son has taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned. I use to be guilty of trying to rush time, especially when I was looking forward to something. It was like I was always looking ahead rather than stopping where I was in my life and looking around. Other times I would dwell on a beautiful memory of my past as a way to escape the worries of that day.

Since Rowe has been born, I have tried to exist in the present time only. It is hard not to look back and become sad of how fast the past year has gone by or wish for days without teething. I don't want to rush a day by, no matter what we have to look forward to or what we are dealing with at the time. The future is inevitable, why should we attempt to get there any faster.

I don't want to be one of those people that are always hoping for tomorrow, next week, or next year to find joy. I don't want to merely hope for the joy that is out of reach at the time. I also don't want to be an old person one day that only finds joy in my past. The key to contentment is to experience the joy of today and all of the "todays" in our lives. If we are always hoping for joy to come in the future, or only remember our joys as the thing of the past, we will never experience joy at all.

So whether you are racing to the day you are out of debt, the day you'll have a baby, or praying for your child's terrible twos to pass, stop and look around you. If you are someone who believes hope is a thing of the past, and there is no where to go but down from here, choose to be wrong, and find God's joy. God doesn't say he will bless you only when all is right with the world. He wants to bless you today, and already has in many ways, if we just stop long enough to enjoy them. Enjoy today.