Life goes by so quickly. That’s why I want to take each moment as it comes. Enjoying each day as it unfolds.
Andrea and I walked into a cute coffee shop and ordered our hot drinks before our venture outside. I noticed the hot chocolate festival was on. An Americano is my go-to. The clouds were moving by quickly.
We walked along the beach admiring the beautiful view and we reflected on our Lenten observances. We talked about what we would do during Lent to deepen our faith and relationship with Jesus. Times of prayer, cleansing, and getting closer to the Lord.
I want so many things, and yet I will need to be at peace with what I have right now. This time of mortification, reflection, and meditation in this Lenten season helps me to do that. I can’t do it on my own. I need companions on the journey. I call on the saints and my friends to accompany me in the Lenten season.
With a cup of hot tea in the morning along with a prayer and a sigh, saying, “Jesus,” I start the day by thanking the Lord for another opportunity to love. I am so rushed sometimes that I forget the presence of God, yet the Holy Spirit nudges me, finds ways to remind me that he is here with me, that I am not alone. When I start to worry about my medication change or making sure I’m not anxious and get enough sleep, he is always with me. I have to be aware of my symptoms to look out for them.
Today, I can relax knowing I am in good health. Bald eagles swooped by us – their wings in flight swirling around the sky. Raindrops start falling on our shoulders, and we decide to turn back. The crunching of gravel under our shoes is the sound we hear as we pause in the conversation.
“Recalling concretely how God blessed me and guided me in the past, even when I couldn’t feel him, helps me trust He’s here now,” writes Catholic author Emily Stimpson Chapman in Letters to Myself from the End of the World. “It also reminds me that God does indeed know what he’s doing. He has a plan, and it’s good. If you’re struggling to find God in your present, try looking for him in your past. Name the blessings he poured out during times of struggle – blessings you wouldn’t have without those struggles. Then give thanks. If you need to, write it all out. Stick the litany on your mirror or in your planner. Glance at it often. Meditate upon it. Pray it. As you do, the hidden God will emerge from the shadows, and reveal himself to you. He is there. And if you cling to him, he will guide you through this present darkness. And the next. And the next. Until the day comes when there is no darkness. Only light.” – Emily Stimpson Chapman
My psychiatrist tells me often, “just be boring.” As in don’t get too excited or revved up. Because then I can’t sleep. And when I don’t get enough sleep I can get sick. I need to keep a fine balance for my brain health to flourish.
Languishing is not fun. I don’t like being fatigued or run down or manic. My health is one of my priorities. It takes effort to stay on track with sleep and exercise. It is worth all the effort!
Managing my time, energy, and daily routines is an ever-changing task. Some days are harder than others. Most of the time I am happy and enjoy many activities. But there are days that I am so tired it feels like I am walking in molasses. Or have a hard time even holding up my head.
I know that the Lord has counted my days and I rest in the knowledge that he has a great plan for my life. I look forward to Easter joy and spring as the snow melts outside my window as I write.
May you experience the great love Jesus has for you as you walk through this Lenten season.
Lisa Rumpel’s podcast, The Will to Thrive: Stories of Resilience, is available on popular streaming services.