Plan for the Joy

Nothing amazingly profound to report from my own lips today. Just wanting to share some tidbits from a couple of blogs that I read who are farther down the journey of motherhood than I and who are thus, much wiser than I about what is important and lasting in life and child-rearing.

A Mom of twelve writes:

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"Have you heard? Life is fleeting. Time is deceptive. The days are evil. That’s right, I said evil. In other words, the days are crafty little buggars. They lull you into a false sense of security, of feeling like nothing will ever change, and all the while…it is. Antique Mommy’s post here was yet another reminder to slow down, enjoy the moment, and most importantly, to plan for joy in our everyday moments. She does not advocate trying to fabricate joy, but to simply expect it. To be ready for it.

To have eyes to see it.

There are pearls in these days of ours. Pearls straight from God’s hand in the form of sunrises and sunsets, gentle breezes and fierce storms, clamoring voices and bubbling laughter, messes and mishaps. Is it possible that the irksome interruptions that derail me from my goals are themselves the goals instead? Too often I am the sow trampling those pearls of opportunity under my feet: unthinking, unappreciative…unwilling.

You’ve heard all this before. So have I. Taking our lives for granted is a priviledge only possible for a small percentage of the world’s population, and I’m part of that. I don’t want to be guilt-ridden, I just want to do better. And so I’ll keep saying it, if for no other reason than to remind myself to pull my head out of the mire.

Because someday, instead of mindlessly mucking about in the feed trough, I want to spy the pearls that are right in front of me. I want to pluck them up out of the mud, polish them, and string them on cords of gratitude to the One who scatters them with such indiscriminate liberality".
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Another AWESOME and oh-so-real post about discovering joy in the journey can be found over here by another busy Mommy of many who gets it.

We're all on this journey of motherhood and life together. No one ever said it would be easy; in fact - we should expect it to be hard.....because Satan wants us to fail! But we need to savor these years and these moments, we need to drink them in, because they are fleeting, and before we know it - they'll be gone!

Lord, help me to discover the joy in the mundane....to slow down the "tyranny of the urgent,"......and to plan for the joy in the everyday moments of this life that You have given me! Give me Your Joy - complete and overflowing, and may it spill over onto all who come in contact with me......