Today
let’s reflect on life’s everyday joys and subtle beauties. They can teach us
important lessons.
Grace-filled,
winsome people can tutor us and introduce us to life’s most valuable
discoveries. They can be the best kind of role models for us.
Devastating
situations can bring us to our knees and leave us broken, helpless—but from
within that place of crisis, we can learn: During our most painful times we can
learn life-changing lessons.
But
let’s not overlook life’s happinesses.
Our
problem is this:
The
gentle things of life
don’t
catch our attention
the
way tragedies do.
Too
often we overlook the deeper treasures
within
lovely people and tender moments
and
soft-spoken words.
Who
showed you what it’s like to live with these (consider them one at a time):
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control (Galatians 5:22)?
Who
demonstrated serving one another in love, loving your neighbor as yourself?
(Galatians 5:13-14)
Who
displayed what real love is (again, consider the following attributes one at a
time):
Love
is patient, love is kind.
It
does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It
is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs.
Love
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love
never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NIV).
Who
demonstrated what commitment is—for better, for worse, in sickness and in
health?
Who
was like a Mr. Rogers in your life? Or a Matthew Cuthbert in the Anne of Green Gables books? Or Father Tim from Jan Karon’s novels? Safe, kind, considerate
souls.
Jan Karon writes, “There is deep, resonant, lovely, tender beauty in the ordinary
life . . . the person on the street; the woman at home; the one working in a
flower bed or trying to raise her grandchildren.” Who were those people in your
life and what did they teach you? What spiritual wisdom did they demonstrate?
Who
were the quiet, dependable, heart-of-gold people God brought into your life?
Maybe a classmate, or a grandparent, or a neighbor, or a boss. Perhaps a store
clerk, or a professor, or a nurse, or a janitor.
Amy Carmichael wrote of the time Jesus ignored derailing comments made by a group
of men (Mark 5:36). Rather than confronting them, he just kept about his
business. Amy writes, “He heard, but He took no notice. . . . How often one . .
. finds peace upset by something that someone has said. ‘Not heeding the word
spoken,’ to be deaf to it, to go on as if one had not heard it—this is
something not all of us find easy. May the Lord give us this holy deafness. . .
. ” (Edges of His Ways; emphasis mine). Who modeled that attitude and conduct
for you?
What
people and stories come to mind when you read the following verses?
A
gentle answer turns away wrath. . . .
The
tongue of the wise commends knowledge. . . .
The
tongue that brings healing is a tree of life. . . .
The
lips of the wise spread knowledge. . . .
A
patient man calms a quarrel. . . .
A
man finds joy in giving an apt reply. . . .
A
cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the
bones (Proverbs 15:1-30).
She
is clothed with strength and dignity. . . . She speaks with wisdom, and
faithful instruction is on her tongue (Proverbs 31:25-26). How good is a timely
word (Proverbs 15:23). For a moving essay on the reality of these two passages,
check out Stacy Sanchez’s post, “It’s not over until. . . .” (Stacy’s young
husband died suddenly a few years ago.)
Your
job as a memoirist
is to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
So,
set aside time
to
search through your memories
and
discover quiet, subtle blessings
from
everyday people and events.
You
might be surprised to find
extraordinary
in your quiet ordinary—
and
that some of your most important lessons
and
values and beliefs
came
from those people and events.
Surely
each was a gift from God—
His
fingerprints are all over them.
Write
your stories.
Pass
on the inspiration you’ve received from others.
