There’s a town about a half an hour away from us that has monthly occasional sales. Most of the stores sell upcycled, refurbished, refinished, antique-y type home goods. It’s kind of like a treasure hunt; sometimes I find exactly what I’m looking for, other times I find exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for, and sometimes I find no treasure at all.
This month, Justin and I were at the sales and one of the things that caught my eye was a random collection of beat-up clay pots. They were tucked underneath a table, outside, wet from the rain. I looked long enough at them to know they weren’t in the best shape, there were a lot of them although I wasn’t sure exactly how many, and they could be mine for just $8. And then I walked away. Mostly because, what was I going to do with this random collection of clay pots? I’m not a flower or garden-type person. It didn’t really make sense for me to like these little pots, but for some reason I kept thinking about them even as we continued our treasure hunting in other shops.
Just before we were about to head back home, Justin asked if I had seen anything that I wanted to go back and look at. I mentioned the clay pots, but almost dismissed the idea before explaining myself. He is fully aware that I’m not a plant person, so he’d agree that the pots were better suited for another treasure hunter. When I told him that I wasn’t sure what I’d do with them, but that I just liked them, he went and looked at them, paid the $8, and loaded them into our trunk. Neither of us were really sure what would happen with them.
The next day, I unloaded my random collection of beat-up clay pots with Mackenna. As we unstacked them, examined them and counted them, Mackenna and I had a conversation that has stuck with me…it went something like this:
“Mom, we need to clean these up!”
“Why?”
“Because they’re dirty and gross. Ew, this one has a bug crawling in it!”
“Well, if we plant something in them, won’t we just be putting more dirt into them? Might as well just leave them a little dirty if they’re going to get dirtier.”
“Mom, look at this one, it has a huge crack in it! Let’s just throw that one away.”
“Nah, let’s keep it. I kind of like that crack. I think it looks cool.”
“Uh-oh, somebody painted this one with red paint and did not do a nice job. It’s ugly, let’s not use this one, Mom.”
“I think the red is pretty; it makes that pot different and special.”
She thought I was crazy. She thought the dirt, cracks and bad paint jobs made the pots ugly and unusable, or at least not worth keeping. But to me, it was those exact same things that made those clay pots beautiful. The ones in perfect shape weren’t as interesting to me; my eyes were drawn to the less-than-perfect ones. And the more I thought about it, I realized that these clay pots are a lot like people. And I thought about how Jesus sees me, all of me, mistakes, regrets, weaknesses included. And He doesn’t cast me aside, unworthy. He loves me, just as I am. And there is no greater feeling than to be fully seen and fully loved.
I’m afraid I tend to see people like Mackenna sees those clay pots. But I want to see people the way Jesus does. Not beautiful despite our flaws, but beautiful because of our flaws.
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Alright, it’s been a week since we started The Joy Before Me Challenge! How is it going? Has it helped you notice more of the joy in your life than you otherwise would have noticed? I hope so! One of the greatest joys for our family this week was Justin’s new job! We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision during those 15 weeks of unemployment and we are overjoyed to have closed the door on that difficult journey. This weekend, I came across a passage about joy that I hadn’t read before.
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. (Psalm 126:1-3, NIV)
I feel like Justin and I could have written a Psalm similar to this one. Like the psalmist’s community experienced the Lord’s mercy, we did too. And we were blown away by God’s goodness. We have literally laughed a little about how things unfolded (much easier to laugh when it’s over). And when the job came, we couldn’t wait to tell our friends and family that the Lord had provided…He had done great things for us. And we are filled with joy!
Life happens in seasons. There are seasons that feel easy, happy, good. And there are other seasons that feel hard, discouraging and void of good. Our little family has experienced both kinds of seasons and I’m sure yours has too. If you are in one of those easier, happier seasons, can I encourage you to thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy in your life? And if you are in one of those hard, discouraging seasons, can I encourage you to look back at your life and remember the great things the Lord has done for you? Your current circumstances do not reflect how He feels about you. He loves you. He wants good things for you. And don’t forget that these seasons are just for “a little while” and that there is “wonderful joy ahead.” (1 Peter 1:6)
One of the things in my life that brings me so much joy is just watching my children enjoy their childhood. I know in their minds, not everything about their lives is enjoyable. We make them clear their plates, put away their laundry and clean up their rooms. They have to brush their teeth twice a day, eat vegetables and head upstairs for bed before they’d like to. But overall, despite their desires to grow up and get bigger quickly, I think they are having a pretty fun time just being kids. And having a front row seat to their childhood is a pretty sweet privilege.
I’m generally not good about taking every-day-type photos of my kiddos with my real camera. My phone is usually my tool of choice for documenting daily photos of them. It’s easier to use, easier to lug around, and easier to share from. Typically the real camera makes an appearance on special occasions: holidays, performances, events, and on those occasions I typically end up with mostly posed photos. I love the posed photos. And so do their grandparents. But the photos that REALLY appeal to me are the candid ones. The ones that tell stories. The ones that don’t necessarily have everyone smiling in the same direction. But the ones that showcase who they are and what they enjoy, rather than their cute coordinated outfits.
So I’m going to start taking more of the every-day photos with my real camera. For me. And for them. I’ll call this little project “Adventures in Childhood” and share their adventures with you. Maybe it’ll bring a smile to your face. Maybe it’ll jog your memory of your own childhood adventures. Maybe it’ll inspire you to take more every-day photos of your own kiddos, with your phone or your real camera. Or maybe it’ll just be good accountability for me to take better photos from my front row seat.
Adventures in Childhood #1…bicycles and broomsticks
We took the training wheels off of Mackenna’s bike this weekend.
She’s been practicing every chance she gets. Learning something new is equally exciting and challenging. It means that messing up, and getting hurt are real possibilities.
But she’s persistent and determined. She gets right back up.
And she loves the ride.
And when she wants to stop, she sort of hops off the side in the most graceful of ways. It’s so cute.
And she is so proud.
And then there’s this guy. Kind of loves being in front of the camera, and enjoyed getting in the way of me documenting Mackenna’s new bike tricks.
With that smile though, I can’t not take pictures of him too.
He’s just so happy…riding on his new bike, his birthday present, being all big and 4.
And being so funny, working so hard to get my attention. He doesn’t even realize that I’m actually focusing on him with my camera now and not Mackenna.
Silly boy.
Silly boy, riding his big bike with a stick in his hand. What’s with boys and sticks?
Now he knows I’m taking his picture…so he gives me his cheesy smile. He looks so grown-up on that big bike.
There they are. Ready to take on the world, together with their bikes…
And the little brother, who wishes he could keep up. Some day, Lucas. Some day way too soon.
Lucas turns his attention to something more his speed, just not quite his size. A broom.
See, Mom? Take a picture of my broom.
Until they ride past him and he chases toward them, leaving his broom behind.
Bicycles and broomsticks. In the cul-de-sac. Where they are growing up right in front of me.
Today we start The Joy Before Me Challenge. We are attempting to alter our perspectives by paying more attention to the things in our lives that bring us joy: blessings, surprises, comforts. We’re writing them down so that in the midst of busy, challenging, crazy days, we don’t forget to notice all of the ways God is loving on us.
But before we do, I’ll let you in on what our family has been journeying through over the past few months and share some of the joy we’ve experienced amidst the struggle. Fifteen weeks ago, unexpectedly, my husband was let go from his job. His severance was small and our health insurance quit the very day he walked out of that office for the last time. We had three children to feed, a mortgage, and diabetes supplies that without insurance cost over $1,200 each month. His being our only reliable income, we were scared. Did we believe God was in control of the situation? Yes. Did we believe that He would provide for us? Of course. Did we believe that Justin would land the perfect job at the exact time God wanted him to? Absolutely. Were we still nervous? Scared? Frustrated? Yes. Yes. Yes. That was 107 days ago. Today, Justin is off on his very first day at his new job and we have a lot to be thankful for! In the spirit of The Joy Before Me Challenge that we’re all starting today, I’m going to list some of the things of joy we experienced over the last 107 days. (Sidenote: Not only am I a favorite pen person, but I’m also a list person, so I’m super excited about this! “Nerd alert!”)
- Day 1. As I was explaining our situation to the pharmacist and trying to stock up on insulin and test strips for Mackenna, a complete stranger overheard and handed me $40. She said, “Everyone needs an opportunity to help someone else out. Please take it.” Also, the insulin I bought that day, randomly rang up for $0.00 and I didn’t realize until I got in the car. So I left Target that day with dinner, insulin, and more cash than I walked in with.
- Day 11. I was hosting Bunco night at our house with some girlfriends, so Justin took the kids to McDonalds for dinner. They placed their order, and then the manager told them that their meal was “paid with lovin” that night…a family hug between the four of them was all it cost for that meal. That same night, I won the highest prize at Bunco, $40…I had never won the high prize before.
- We were starting to get low on Mackenna’s pump supplies. Just before spending hundreds of dollars placing a new order, I stumbled across a group on facebook called, Diabetics Pay It Forward. A woman from that group sent us an extremely generous amount of supplies. About a month later, we were getting low again and two other women, both moms of girls with type 1 diabetes, blessed us with generous amounts of supplies. We ended up never having to order pump supplies.
- We had a new reason to encourage one another daily. And we did. We saw God’s grace in the ebbing and flowing of our emotions. If he was down, I was hopeful. If I was down, he was hopeful. Our marriage is stronger because of this trial.
- Justin got to experience the craziness of our mornings on school days. Getting everyone out of bed, fed, cleaned, dressed, and in the van by 8:30 am is a feat and having him there to help for a few months was a huge blessing to me.
- The kids enjoyed so much more daddy time than they were used to. He left every morning around 9 am, and came back home between 4 and 5pm…just in time to take the kids on a bike ride or to the park while I worked on dinner.
- Our kids did not feel the pinch. They knew that Daddy wasn’t going to his same job anymore and that he was looking for a new one, but their minds were spared from the stress that we were feeling.
There were so many blessings in the middle of our storm. So many friends and family members stepped up with the right word at just the right time, or blessed us with a meal or more. And when we started to lose hope, because sometimes we did, and when we started to worry, because we did that a lot, and when we forgot that the God of the Universe who loves us immensely was taking care of us, He used our people to remind us.
As we begin The Joy Before Me Challenge today, let’s open our eyes wide to see who and what God is using to remind us that He loves us! Is it your child’s giggle? The smell of fresh air? Your favorite pen? Finding something you thought was lost? A timely text or email? I can’t wait for you to discover all the joys before you! There are no rules. You can write or type. You can list words or you can write paragraphs. You can write twice daily, once daily, weekly, whatever. You decide how the challenge fits into your life.
Ready? Let’s do this.
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Thanks for this inspiration Ps. 126:3 The joy before me.