The summers of my childhood included a blend of games and activities with neighborhood friends, afternoons at the community pool, bike rides to the library, and a few weeks spent with Grandma Clara and Grandpa Henry who lived four hours away in Iowa.
No doubt some would describe our summer experiences as mundane, not realizing the joy hidden among the ordinary:
- The delight of lazy Monopoly marathons
- The wonder of fireflies in a jar
- The satisfaction of a big bowl of buttery popcorn–after biking to the park and spending several hours of nonstop cavorting in the pool, then biking home again
- The pleasure of tucking ourselves under the willow tree to read
- The fun of an evening bike ride with Dad
It’s the small, happy moments—not the grand events—that contribute to satisfying days and a joy-filled life.
The joy of small…makes life large.
–Ann Voskamp (1)
However, I have to admit: my childhood-self took those lovely moments for granted. I lived unaware of God’s glory pervading my everyday experiences: his creative genius on display—even in the backyard, his love, peace, and security within a family grounded on Christian values, and his goodness to provide joy-filled moments that shimmer in my memory with holy perfection.
Now, as the decades have passed, I’m learning to identify more of the transcendent moments God provides, including:
- A cardinal filling the silence of the woods with his hope-inspiring “Cheer! Cheer! Cheer!”
- A toddler wrapping her arms around my neck and crying, “I love you!”
- A devotional that speaks exactly what I need to hear
- An opportunity to encourage a waitress and see her concern turn to hope
- A small gathering of family and friends quickly ballooning to twelve—with much laughter, camaraderie, and delightful conversation
God’s glory is on display right “in the middle of our minutes” (2).
So each night before falling asleep, let’s measure the moments of our days:
- Taking note of God’s blessings and the delights of his creation; singing our praise for his breath-taking handiwork (Psalm 92:4; Job 5:9).
- Thanking God for the camaraderie and conversation, hugs and support among family members and friends who keep us strong (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
- Counting the riches that result from abiding in God, beginning with peace (Isaiah 26:3), stability (Psalm 16:8), and contentment (1 Timothy 6:6).
- Celebrating the honor of ministering to others in Jesus’ name (Matthew 25:40), giving us purpose and cultivating fulfillment in our spirits.
- Delighting in the opportunities to smile, laugh, and find moments of joy—even in the midst of trouble or frustration (Proverbs 17:22).
“Laughter is to life what shock absorbers are to automobiles.
It won’t take the potholes out of the road,
but it sure makes the ride smoother.”
–Barbara Johnson
And just as inches are measured into feet, so we can measure meaningful moments into satisfying days and a joy-filled life–because God is in them.
What meaningful moments are at the top of your list for today? Please share in the comments section below!
Notes:
- One Thousand Gifts, Zondervan, 2010, p. 167.
- Sara Hagerty, Unseen, Zondervan, 2017, p. 109.
(Photo credits: http://www.geauxguard.la.gov; http://www.pixnio.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pexels.com.)
From the Inside Out 
Nancy, Thanks and loved the saying by Barbara Johnson. Her books were very funny. Hope you and Steve are having a good summer and he is feeling better.
Love, Prayers and Blessings, Janet
Thank you, Janet. I, too, loved Barbara’s books, and how she fought grief and stress with humor. Steve has hit a bit of a setback–perhaps a virus–causing low-grade fever. It began two weeks ago with a four-day bout, lifted, and then returned this week. His doctor put Steve back on a medication he was taking, December-May. Thank you so much for your continued prayers, dear friend!
This is so sweet. It reminds me of a song that came out recently, called “Dream Small,” about the importance of little things, brief moments, and small kindnesses that impact the Big Picture. It always makes me smile, just as this post did. 🙂
So glad I could make you smile, SDP. Praise God for his inspiration!
Oh how I remember collecting fireflys in a jar! Sitting on the patio while my dog relaxes in the sun gives me time to stop and listen to nature and look at the blue sky, clouds, and occasional birds. Thinking on yesterday’s delivery of the our sunshine bags delivered to some friends and how they all reacted to the simple poem and goodies in the bag really touched my heart…and today planting flowers, enjoying the sounds of nature and the funny sight of my hound sunning beside me. Thanks for such a great start to the day.
And thank you, Sunshine, for sharing how you measure your moments! We’re in the middle of a heat wave here, but when the weather cools down a bit, I’ll be out on our deck to revel in trees, birds, clouds, etc. just as you do. MUCH to measure when we look and listen outdoors!
this is the perfect post to help all of us slow down and savor all that life brings and God gives us. Thank you, dear Nancy!
You’re welcome, Jean. Savoring adds great pleasure and contentment to the day, doesn’t it? Thank you for YOUR voice of encouragement to celebrate the small–encouragement such us: “Focusing on celebration and deliberately seeking ways to practice this discipline in our lives, our souls come alive with the colors of joy” (from your book, Fuel Your Faith)! 🙂
Hi Nancy,
You bet! These little moments mean a lot. Maybe that is why the Lord limits us and slows us down as we age. We get to see the treasures of God’s riches with memories.
In Christ,
Gary
You are so right, Gary! It IS one of the pleasures of growing older that we recognize the “treasures of God’s riches” in our memories. Perhaps God intended it that way!
I think that is grace when we are more prone to regret and can get discouraged at what could have been. The Lord may let us see seeds grow that were planted years ago.
In reflecting on measured moments with my dad form childhood until recent. When He passed, those moments became immeasurable. I will miss his constant story-telling banter and laughter.
My dad was quite the storyteller too, with hundreds of jokes in his repertoire. Dad also had a gift for the quick quip. Indeed: memorable moments with Mom and Dad (both in heaven now) are immeasurable. Thank you for YOUR reflection, Gary!
Ann Voskamp’s book “One Thousand Gifts” is a great read on appreciating the small things in life. Thanks for the post.
I loved her book, too–so inspiring! Ann definitely inspired me to embrace the joy of small.
SO, so lovely, Nancy!! Thank you!
Praise God you found loveliness here! Thank YOU, Diana!
Thank you for taking me back to many wonderful childhood memories, Nancy! Sleeping out in a tent in the backyard, popcorn parties on my neighbor’s patio, walking to the corner store for a cherry coke and licorice, playing ‘kick the can’ and other games with neighborhood kids! Sweet times!
Oh, yes! We slept in a tent a few times (I lost interest because of the heat, the bugs, or the hard ground!) and walked to the corner store for treats. My favorite was Neccos. They lasted a long time if I let them melt rather than crunch them up! Thank you for jogging a couple more memories. Sweet times indeed!
What a great way to end each day! Reflecting on those blessings before closing our eyes to sleep helps to lessen the worries. I learned the value of those small blessings when my dad was ill. Little reminders that God was with us. Thanks for sharing. I pray you and Steve are doing well.
And praise God for those little reminders–every day! Thank you for asking about Steve. He’s dealing with some a.m. nausea, probably due to the anti-seizure meds he’s taking. Perhaps the neurology team will let him wean off one of them to lessen the problem. But we don’t want any more sezisures either! Such a careful balancing act–with the liver anti-rejection meds as well.
Thanks Nancy, It was fun recalling some really great childhood memories. We played baseball almost every day in the summer. Rode our bikes to Clearfork Lake from Westview Blvd…. got in trouble because it was almost dark when we got back. Loved playing red rover…, ball with Dad and Mom, sister, brother at the Woodville school on Cook Road.. Still love licorice.. get some from Australia now that actually has licorice in it. Yes, laughing at whatever comes is something natural… with the exception of being “depressed” at times. I am thinking the B-12 shots have helped in that regard.
Thank you for sharing your memories, Samuel. We played softball in our neighborhood too–also kickball and 500. ‘Bet you played those games as well. So glad the B-12 shots are helping with your occasional depression!