Enjoy
Tonight I am sitting here at my desk just spending a little quality friendship time with God. I started a gratitude journal this year just because of how impactful and necessary I realized gratitude was in my life. It went hand in hand with contentment, joy, and satisfaction.
Something the Lord has been telling me since I turned 25 has been to “enjoy”. I had recently started a Master’s program and between school and work, my responsible disciplined side had kicked in full speed. I’m talking about 8 pm bed time speed.
That’s not the only thing. I had a serious relationship God was growing, and honestly had gotten a little comfortable keeping to myself and talking to him. Even after my summer classes ended, I still found myself in my disciplined keep to myself routine. Person after person had asked me to go hang out, whether it was skating or going to lunch, you name it, they’d invited me—but I turned them all down thinking that I had too much to do and had to measure my time wisely. Mind you, school was over lol.
Eventually Jesus called me out on my hermit crab busy bee with no be to be ways and I realized what was really happening. He encouraged me to enjoy! Go out and make memories, hang out with friends, new people, make the plans, go and be! Enjoy the people around you! At the time I realized how important this was also because if I planned to get married to my boyfriend, there was a real chance I would be moving away from my life in my hometown and all the community I had direct access to now. That encouraged me to take advantage of the girls nights, go to the events, drive 40 minutes for dinner, go play tennis, and have fun!
The reminder has been consistent over the past few months but this weekend paired with his lesson about rest really made me consider it all again. Enjoy your life. Work is not your life. Invest in your relationships. Go do the thing! Take time for yourself and rest, whatever that looks like for you. Rest & joy go hand in hand. It’s funny because when I first heard him say “enjoy” I considered it only to be for a season. A million fun and beautiful things have happened and are going to happen this year (Celebrations, life changes, parties, etc). All of my favorite things!
I realized though that I had began to think this word only applied to a season, and after that questioned what would life hold after. God showed me the reality of my thinking and graciously began to expand the vision. Joy is not seasonal. The joy will continue, in different ways. Life will change this year but that does not mean his joy stops flowing. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit with its source is in Christ, so as I walk with him, I am never to be without joy. A big theme for 2023 was gratitude, slowing down and being present in the joys of life in the everyday. This is what I seek to see, because truly it’s a choice and God’s grace to see it. There is joy in every seasons we walk with God into. He has blessed us and planted tokens of his love all throughout each unique day He has given us. I can’t wait to see what he has in store!
Enjoy what God has given you, delight in the Lord your God!
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalms 37:4-5)
Rejoice in this day because this is the day the LORD HAS MADE! Delighting in the days God has given me has been my own way of rejoicing. Thanking him for the little and big ways he takes care of me and showers me with his love is my way of rejoicing no matter how I feel that day! There’s always something to rejoice about! Rejoice in the Lord today! Enjoy all that he is and his goodness toward you! Enjoy your life! It is a gift and a blessing!
Phillipians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
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some gratitudes of the day
His strength and patience
Breakfast this morning, so I wouldn’t be hungry
His faithfulness in keeping me from sin, or temptation, or a certain thought patterns that day, that morning, or that hour.
Saving me and keeping me in my faith
His provision for a piece of candy at work when I had a sweet tooth
