simplicity

Simply put; the circumstances that are around me are the farthest thing from normal. And when asking how we've gotten ourselves here, there is no simple answer. Through the chaos and what seemed like an overnight change, everyone is experiencing the same thing. One thing I can take comfort in, is the reality that I am not alone.

A complete halt to life was the very last thing I expected to be doing this semester. I had responsibilities, a schedule that had every hour of my day planned, I had events to plan and trips to take. I had a million things planned. I had all of these responsibilities to take care of. I had goals to accomplish. I had memories to make. But when I take a step back, why was it all about me? My list went on and on, and eventually grew to be a load that I wasn't sure I could handle. I often think of the things I missed because of the busyness of my schedule. Simply put; did I miss opportunities to soak up the little moments that life had to offer. God is working on me. And my prayer for this time is that whatever you are learning right now about yourself, your families, this situation, maybe your future - I pray that it is not forgotten when life gets back to "normal."

I think what if statements can be dangerous. We will never know what would've happened if life would've continued at the same rate. There are a lot of what if's that I'm trying to stay away from, but one that is repeating itself over and over again is: What if all of this is happening right now so we can appreciate the simple things that life has to offer? Our culture pushes more and more things to do, people to meet, memories to make. Our culture pushes for us to do more, accomplish more. We are expected to impact more people, do big things and never settle for average. It is an expectation to be great. I think a lot can come of this mentality, but what I see clearly is exhaustion. People don't realize what they are putting themselves through, until they wake up exhausted and needing a break; needing to rest. It's an exhausting cycle trying to always be the best, keep everyone happy, never saying no to anything; without caution, it can leave you empty. Simply put; we do too much.

What if this time is to help shift our focus to simplicity? The simplicity of staying home with your family. The simplicity of waking up early in the morning to read and drink coffee. The simplicity of an empty schedule and having nothing to put in your planner. God is reminding me that it is the simple things in life that are important. It's not more that fills our cup, it's simply Him. He fills us, we just have to stop for long enough to let Him. Happiness is temporary, it can come and go in a second's notice. Joy; the joy of the Lord is not temporary. This is something we never lose because as long as we are seeking what He has for our lives, the joy it never runs out. I am seeing more clearly now than ever that I am not enough. But praise God that I have someone much greater than I am to look to. Joy can be found, not only in the best moments of your life, but also in the quietest. Find joy in where you are right now. Just because life doesn't seem normal or it is on pause, doesn't mean God is. Simply put; I think this is how it was always meant to be. It's the simple things in life that we are missing out on with our busy schedules, but how beautiful it is that we have the chance to fall back into simplicity.