As I sit here typing through the discomfort of my throbbing burnt fingertips my sole desire is to make the pain go away. But, instead of seeking reprieve from the pain I have asked God to reveal to me His perspective. In my haste, to prepare dinner, bathe Devyn, and assist Aiden with homework—AT THE SAME TIME—I neglected to use an oven mitt to take the top off of the dish that had just been baking in the oven.
I need to slow down. There are moments when I need to dedicate my “multi-tasking brain” to just one task at a time.
Too often during the most challenging yet valuable moments we rush through them in an effort to avoid the discomfort, pain, and struggle while simultaneously missing the lesson and growth that often accompanies those same experiences. Don’t waste those painful experiences. Get the lesson.
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have a tendency to rush in our acquisition of that next BEST thing. We experience moments of satisfaction, but once those feelings wane our spirit turns restless and we look for “something” to fill that void. We have an insatiable appetite for more and it prevents us from maintaining an attitude of gratitude with regard to what we have right now. We are rarely fully engaged in any moment because we’re consumed with the need to get to what’s next.
Today allow yourself to be fully engaged in each moment. Slow down. Don’t diminish the experience by rushing through it or looking just past it onto that seemingly more enticing next thing, event, purchase, accomplishment, or goal. Savor that moment—Relish it. We have everything that we need to complete our current assignment. Everything. If there’s something we don’t have—then we don’t need it for this assignment OR we’re doing something that we should not be doing. He has equipped, empowered, and armed us with all the resources that we need for each season. Trust Him. We must maintain a healthy appreciation for what we have today and demonstrate it through constant thanksgiving. His provision is perfect. When it feels that you’re lacking make a point to ask yourself what God may be striving to enhance within your character by keeping it just out of your reach. Our God is an awesome God and our Father loves us. He has no desire to “withhold the good from those who live with integrity” (Psalm 84:11).
Seek God first…the rest will follow.
Ashley Ivery is a single mother of two brilliant children, Aiden and Devyn, with an overwhelming desire to empower women and help them to realize the importance of a relationship with God. Through her writing she hopes to encourage women to claim their strength and value in Christ. Ashley serves as the Residential Listing Partner for Team Harris Real Estate. She graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2012 with a BS in Psychology. Her motto is: "Be Authentic. Live Honestly. Dispel Light."
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