5 Things to Do When Life Is Good
Recently, my husband and I tried to arrange a night out with some good friends. He suggested staying in, and I replied, "Oh, you know how he is-he'll want to go out instead." And it hit me: I love that I know this person. He's someone I did not know prior to life in Orlando. I love that God has given us not just new, but dear, dear friends. Life feels good right now. Our cups are full. That's more precious after the rough transition we had to Orlando. We have history here, good history. It is a season of joy, a time to revel in the rich harvest of this place God has given us. So the natural question becomes: how can we make the most of this? Because life doesn't stay put for long. God keeps leading us to new seasons, and some of them are tough. Here's what God has been encouraging me to do in this time: 5 things to do when life is good Rest Transition takes a toll. Chances are, it took some climbing to get to this spot. God gives us times when our souls can rest. Take a deep breath and look around. Get to know this new landscape God created. Don't spend energy looking back at what you left, and don't waste it trying to prepare for what might be ahead. Just be all here. Give thanks The practice of gratitude is so essential to navigating transition well. When it's over, it's tempting to forget where all this goodness comes from. Thank God for bringing you to this place and for every little blessing that you see. Celebrate the heck out of it! The other day I made a list of things I'm grateful for, and I felt God's absolute pleasure in giving them to me. It's His joy to bring us to wide open spaces. Realize that fact and respond. Remember others It wasn't long ago that we were the new people, the ones without community or roots. Those people are all around us, hungry for connection. We could be the one to meet their needs. Remember what it felt like to not be in this place, and ask God to lead you to grab others by the hand and walk well with them. We can give them the strength we feel right now. Bear witness When you're in the storm of transition, it's hard to remember that there are places of abundance, solid ground to stand on. Scripture says a good word from a distant land brings hope. We can be that good word to others. Sometimes we're discouraged from sharing about being in places of blessing when others are struggling. But bearing witness is about giving credit to God, and reminding all of us of His goodness. Let it fuel the future Life changes constantly, and what carries us through is remembering that God is our anchor. Like I said in my New Year's post, we look back so we can look…