One Great Antidote When You’re Feeling Stressed
First of all—I’ve got great news! My newest book, Find Rest: A Women’s Devotional For Lasting Peace in a Busy Life, is back in stock on Amazon! We had such a good response that it went temporarily out of stock until we could get another shipment in. (Click here if you would like to order your copy of Find Rest—don’t forget that they make beautiful and meaningful Mother’s Day gifts!) And thank you to those who have already purchased one . . . we’d love for you to leave a review on Amazon if you could. Click here to leave a review.
And secondly, given the whirlwind of the last month with travel and work and then my dad’s stroke, I’m reminded more and more that God calls us—regardless of our circumstances, our activities, and our busyness—to be glad and rejoice in each day. Psalm 118:24 says “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Here’s an excerpt from Find Rest about this very thing:
Stop And Take Notice
God tells us that one antidote to feeling pressed in on every side is to stop and notice each day and what He is doing with it. After all, we can’t “be glad” for God’s great works unless we purposefully take in the day that is flowing by.
This reminds me of a great regret of mine that turned into a great lesson. After months of planning our wedding, the actual ceremony seemed to pass in a delightful blur. A few weeks later, my husband mentioned seeing a particular couple who had been at the ceremony but had to miss the reception. I said, “Really? I don’t remember seeing them. It all seemed to go so fast—I don’t remember much about the ceremony itself.”
Jeff smiled sideways. “I remember everything.” He then told me that one of his groomsmen, a man who was already married, had taken him aside ahead of time and told him the day could either rush by or be soaked in. “He encouraged me to purposefully enter into it and remember it all. So I made sure to really enjoy every moment.”
Savor And Soak In Every Moment
Years later, when our kids were born, I heard echoes of that advice from older moms who said, “Oh, enjoy this time. It goes so quickly.” This time, I decided, I would not let the warp speed of life turn these precious years into a blur. I have tried to savor and soak in every moment, every stage. It has been so rewarding. Unlike my wedding ceremony, I have thousands of rich, delightful memories with my kids that will still be precious long after they leave home.
Whether it is about time with family, friends, career, or the use of a particular gift, letting the days slip by and wondering “where did the time go?” is a surefire way to end up with weariness and regret. Let’s instead resolve to notice each day, and be glad in it.
Excerpt taken from Find Rest
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Shaunti Feldhahn loves sharing eye-opening information that helps people thrive in life and relationships. She herself started out with a Harvard graduate degree and Wall Street credentials but no clue about life. After an unexpected shift into relationship research for average people like her, she now is a popular speaker and author of best-selling books about men, women and relationships. (Including For Women Only, For Men Only, and the groundbreaking The Good News About Marriage).
Her newest book, The Kindness Challenge demonstrates that kindness is the answer to pretty much every life problem, and is sparking a much-needed movement of kindness across the country. Visit www.shaunti.com for more.