Joy In The Ordinary

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. - Philippians 4:4

Brene Brown once said, “Joy comes to us in ordinary moments. We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.” 

Have you ever been guilty of that? Being so busy waiting on something extraordinary that you miss the joy that comes from the ordinary? I know I have been. So many times I’ve been preoccupied with just wanting to be done with school or just wanting a new job or just wanting to be married that I fail to soak in the good that exists in the present. 

Think back to when you were 16 or 17 years old. At some point during that time in your life, did you ever say something like, “I can’t wait until high school’s over,” or “I’ve just got to make it to graduation,” or “Just wait until I turn 18.”

I can almost guarantee we’ve all had those thoughts at least once or twice (or 47 times). We thought that life would be so much better, so much more fun, so much easier if we could just be done with high school. But eventually, we realized that while some things about life post-high school are fun and exciting, there also are some added challenges….like going to college, or moving out, or finding a job, or paying bills. The list goes on and on. 

The point I’m trying to make here is that every single season has its pros, but every single season also has its cons. Unfortunately, we spend way too much time focusing on nothing but the cons of our current season and wishing for nothing but the pros of seasons to come. And that’s where I would love to see change happen. 

So here’s my challenge to you. I want you to grab a pen and paper (or open the Notes app on your phone) and take a second to think about where you are in life right now.

If you knew this season would be over in a few years, what are some of the things you would want to do? Where are some places you would want to go? What are some relationships you want to invest in? What character qualities would you like to develop or what thought patterns would you like to change?

Ask yourself these questions and start writing down the answers. Before you know it, you’ll have a bucket list tailored just for this season. 

I hope that whatever season you’re in, you’ll take the time to make one of these lists. But even more than that, I hope that you’ll begin to see that the opportunities available to you in this season are endless, and if you look hard enough, you can find joy in even the most ordinary moments.