Getting engaged, planning a wedding, starting a new job in a field I have no experience in, my nephew is born, finding out my grandpa is in hospice, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, grad parties, packing, moving, searching for a home, and all the small life events in between. The past six months of my life have been busy to say the least, and at times it can be overwhelming. Oftentimes in the mix of the craziness, I forget to take a step back and notice all the good that is happening. Instead, I focus on how little free time I have to do the things I want to do, or I get anxious about what is coming next. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. Notice how it didn’t say “rejoice sometimes” or “rejoice when you have free time”, but it says, “rejoice ALWAYS”.

I sure wasn’t doing a great job at following that verse. I will be honest, it took me a while to be grateful for my busy schedule. Instead of enjoying everything, I let it weigh me down and stress me out. Instead of fully enjoying these events, I was slightly dreading them because it was another thing I had to do instead of enjoying my weekend or getting laundry or grocery shopping done for the week. BUT, I finally realized that it doesn’t have to be that way.When I started thinking about the good that comes from all this and not letting my negative thoughts win, I felt happier and started looking forward to my packed weekends. Every time I had a negative thought or complaint about something, I challenged myself to find the good in the situation and to be grateful for what God has given me. Now I am at the point where I don’t have to challenge myself as much because my thoughts are instantly grateful.

While I learned to be grateful during this busy chapter in life, God also revealed something else to me. During my everyday life I tend to get caught up in the daily tasks like doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, packing my lunch, following up with wedding plans, etc., and oftentimes I let those things take up all my time, thus leaving less time to spend with God. What I have learned in this busy season is that while I am traveling between events I have the opportunity to sit in the presence of God and spend time with Him. I can pray, listen to worship music, listen to a religious podcast, sit and talk to God, or simply sit in silence and listen to what God is saying to me. Whether it be on my 25-minute commute to and from my new job, or on the 10-minute drive to the next grad party, I am given the chance to spend time with the Most High God.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”

The more I focus on spending time with God in the car while I travel, the more grateful I become for my busy life, and the closer I get to the Everlasting God. So, let me try this again:

I get to marry the love of my life, plan a wedding where all of my family and friends get to come and celebrate, I have a stable income, I have a nephew now, I have had the privilege of having time with my grandfather my whole life and making memories with him, celebrating other people in my life whom I love, and I get to grow closer to God every day and feel His love for me. The past six months of my life have been a blessing.  

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