"This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it."
-Psalm 118:24
In the midst of these strange and restricting times, my first response is rarely to rejoice. Can you relate?
The Oxford dictionary defines rejoice as a verb which means to feel or show great joy or delight. This is something my kids are excellent at, but I cannot say the same for myself. And yet, God has brought me to Psalm 118:24 countless times throughout this pandemic. His prompting is clear. Even as I find myself teetering between gratitude and stress, He is asking me to rejoice.
The reminder to rejoice echos throughout my day but I have learned that in my own limited capacity, rejoicing is simply not something I can maintain on my own. I need God's help to bring me to a place of great joy and delight more often than I care to admit.
I have found that my fastest track to rejoicing is to start by thanking God. Sometimes I do that alone in my head, sometimes I ask my kids to thank God out loud with me. Both ways open the door to feel or show great delight in the very things that were making me feel limited or oppressed.
When I give thanks for the food that we have, the intense and calculated practice of grocery shopping doesn't feel as weighty anymore. When I give thanks that I have kids who know how to share and choose to play together, their (loud) disagreements do not have the same disheartening effect. When I give thanks for a comfortable and inviting home to take shelter in, my perspective on staying home is refreshed. Thanksgiving moves me toward a place where I can delight in the food God has provided for us. It allows me to find joy in my children and in our home. Thanksgiving opens the door for me to rejoice.
Today, my challenge for you is to spend some time thanking God. Thank Him for who He is and for all that He has done for you. Start with the things that are obvious and allow God to minister to your thankful heart. After you're done thanking God, go back and rejoice over those things as well. I pray that you are refreshed and renewed in your thanksgiving and rejoicing.
With love,
Erica
P.S. I truly hope you are well, and I think about you often. If there are specific ways I can be praying for you or supporting you, I would love to do that. I know that this pandemic has impacted people differently, especially in areas where the restrictions are high and the virus is spreading rapidly. My heart goes to you as you navigate your new circumstances day by day. May God bless you abundantly as you do!
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| time on the couch with Daddy snuggled under our weighted blanket |
I have found that my fastest track to rejoicing is to start by thanking God. Sometimes I do that alone in my head, sometimes I ask my kids to thank God out loud with me. Both ways open the door to feel or show great delight in the very things that were making me feel limited or oppressed.
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| Letting the kids do my hair |
Today, my challenge for you is to spend some time thanking God. Thank Him for who He is and for all that He has done for you. Start with the things that are obvious and allow God to minister to your thankful heart. After you're done thanking God, go back and rejoice over those things as well. I pray that you are refreshed and renewed in your thanksgiving and rejoicing.
With love,
Erica
P.S. I truly hope you are well, and I think about you often. If there are specific ways I can be praying for you or supporting you, I would love to do that. I know that this pandemic has impacted people differently, especially in areas where the restrictions are high and the virus is spreading rapidly. My heart goes to you as you navigate your new circumstances day by day. May God bless you abundantly as you do!
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