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While I’ve always struggled with the “if onlys” in my life, every once in a while I’m caught off guard by so many lovely things.
Wanting more ~ dreaming of “if only” has been quite possibly my biggest weakness, but maybe also my most quiet and fortunate strength too.
Maybe that’s also true for you?
I started my little blog thinking, “if only . . . one day I could make a few extra dollars.”
We moved from house to house as I thought, “if only . . . I could fluff up just one more perfect space.”
I raised our kids thinking, “if only . . . I could do this just a little more wholeheartedly & beautifully”.
I dreamed big on a kind of crazy grocery shopping idea 🙂 thinking “if only . . . I could make grocery shopping easier.”
Truth be told? Many of the if onlys in my life have caused me to lean a little more deeply into lovely ~ and while it can be a wee bit exhausting some days, it also has turned out so very beautifully for me many days.
As someone who grew up with maybe a harder start than most, I think I was brought up dreaming inherently & always hoping for just a little bit more. When I look back at my life as an adult though, while everything hasn’t been absolutely perfect, I do know that I’ve stumbled into lovely in a lot of surprising ways.
And yet still, sometimes I’m ungrateful.
I find myself wishing for just a teensy bit more.
Today though I’m reminding myself to slow down and simply lean into lovely.
The perfect white pumpkin on a crisp fall day
Our freshly made bed
The sticky countertops left over after a simple meal just made
A pile of warm, clean dish towels folded just right
The just-shined kitchen sink
An early morning walk followed by the perfect cup of coffee
Kids calling right smack in the middle of a sometmies hectic schedule
Cozy
socks. 🙂
And truly? Each and every brand-new day.
I challenge you today, keep dreaming on those if onlys (they can be the sweetest gift ~ not always something to look down upon!)
But in the meantime, also … slow down.
Savor today.
And look for every opportunity you can to cling just a little more tightly to lovely.
Philippians 4:8 reminds us to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable—to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
If you're in a season where lovely feels far away ~ maybe hidden by the heavy weight of grief, worry, or exhaustion ~ bless. you. Lovely might look different for you right now, and truly that is okay. If you even see just a twinge or glimmer, lean into that just as deeply as you can today.
In some way, this season (and as often as you can . . . ), choose to lean into lovely.
I'm right over here on this side of the screen, praying so much lovely for both you and me today.
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