beach walks

Micro Joys

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath, you begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breathe in: Little
  • Breathe out: Joys

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Psalm 126:5-6
Psalm 126:5-6

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
   reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves.

Psalm 126

Our joys this year seem to be smaller than in years past. So much is happening that finding joy in the midst has become hard. Even those things that are great joys, like births, weddings, celebrations, etc., seem not to be as big as they used to. This is why I have begun to look for the little joys in my life. Those joys I do not always recognize.

As I walked on the beach last week, the sun was out, and the sand was smooth. I looked down, and saw what looked like sparkles. I began to think about these sparkles, and realized they are always there. Even when I do not see them, because the sun is not out. The only reason I could see them, at that moment, was because the sun shone and was reflected back to me by small particles that are in the sand. I began to think of the sparkles as points of joy. I came to realize two things about joy in my life.

There are sparks of joy throughout my life. Just as the sparkles in the sand though small were scattered all over the beach. Joy is everywhere, and at times it becomes common place. I the importance of recognizing the joy that is all around me.

The other thing I realized is that joy is always in my life. Just like the sparkles in the sand that are there even when the sun is not shining. Joy is in my life even when I do not see it. Micro joys are popping up all around me. They are still there even on the dark days.

  • What joys are in your life?
  • What are the micro joys?

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breathe in: Little
  • Breathe out: Joys

Loving God, thank you for all of the joy in my life. Help me to be more open to seeing the micro joys. Help me to remember that joy is all around me. Thank you God for all of the joy in my life. Amen

Forgiven

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you begin to clear your mind.

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “I am”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “Forgiven”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
    so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

Psalm 103:8-13

As I walk on the sand at the beach I am amazed at how the wind and water erase all traces of activity. The wind blows over the foot prints whether they are human, bird, dog, deer, vehicle or something else. All that is left are ripples in the sand. In the same way the water rises, and washes away all trace of what was on the sand before it. This reminds me of the working of the Spirit in our lives. (Jesus compared the Spirit of God to the wind in John chapter 3 verse 8.) The wind blowing away all traces of what has gone before is a reminder for me of God removing my sin, mistakes, and transgressions. They have been removed like the wind blowing over the sand.

There are some mistakes that I tend to dwell on. They are the ones I cannot forget or even at times forgive. Walking on the beach and watching the waves, helps me remember these mistakes, sins, and transgressions are forgiven. I practice watching the wind and waves just to remind myself how forgiven I am.

-please take a moment to do one of the things listed below.-

  • Try taking a walk in the sand or by water.
  • Visualize your sins, mistakes, or transgressions being washed out to sea.
  • Visualize your sins, mistakes, or transgressions being blown away with the wind.

Take some deep breaths.

  • Breath in: “I am”
  • Breath out: “Forgiven”

Forgiving God, we are so blessed to have your forgiveness. Help us to receive your forgiveness when we have trouble receiving your free gift of forgiveness. Remind us that you are with us throughout our lives, and walk alongside us in our journey. Amen