Tuesday, April 4, 2023
I guess I haven’t learned that yet
by Shauna Niequist, Author
Devotional by Pastor Carrie Baylis
“Learning to choose myself instead of giving the best of myself to people and relationships and institutions. It’s our responsibility to create a rhythm for my life that nurtures me, that brings me joy, that allows me to flourish. Learning to put ourselves in the path of joy and beauty. Make our lives small and simple. Doing what fills us and refreshes us. Taking the time to discover what that is and then embracing it.”
In #22 Shauna takes some time to discuss what it looks like to put yourself on the path to receiving good things. Each day we have the opportunity to wake up and start a new day. We get to choose how we are going to live that day, how we are going to respond to the people around us, and what we are going to contribute to the world. God has given us this gift of being created in His image which means that we get to participate in all that he has given us without having to do more than we can handle or trying to earn what he has already given us. We get to rest in the simple gifts and in the big and small joys that surround us every day. We get to choose living in ways that feed our soul and let us put our faith into action in the world. For some of us, we might find ourselves resting in the joy of unexpected simple pleasures of this world. I think that’s why God put the beauty of creation out for all of us to see to rest in the warmth of the sun, delight in the shimmering of the seas and take Sabbath as our days come to a close.
Prayer: God of all creation we are enamored by the beauty and simple joys of this world. Let us find rest in all the small acts of joy and moments of delight we can find each day. Amen.
First Thoughts at First 
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