By Alissa Dedic
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
I don’t know if anyone else is looking for the return policy on 2024. We probably can’t take it back because we opened it, right?!
Some rough things have happened in my life the first and second quarters of the year. I’m not sure I want to be totally convinced this year is going to be rotten. That is kind of like letting a bad five minutes ruin your day. Many of the things that have happened are going to take time to heal and others we learn a lesson, dust ourselves off and carry on. I was listening to Chrystal Evans Hurst’s podcast yesterday, and she challenged us to share our top three things to focus on as we finish up the second quarter of this year. Despite the grief and the other hardships, it’s not too late to finish up the second quarter of this year well.
So here is what I want to focus on as I finish up the second quarter of this year:
1. Look for God’s goodness and steadfastness every day. Even in the midst of all the terrible things that have happened God is still good and still the same. Things may do differently than I planned or happen unexpectedly, but God’s goodness and steadfastness never change.
2. Look for God’s daily blessings. There is a blessing to praise God for every day, even on the worst days. It was a blessing that I was able to be with my family at the hospital the day my mom passed away. God knew we needed each other that day and preplanned a way for me to be there.
3. Bloom where God has planted me. I am thankful for the spring. Watching everything bloom and come back to life has been a different grieving experience than the one I had 25 years ago when my older brother passed away in the fall. While I miss my mom to the point of pain, I will look for the opportunities to grow.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
That is a different top three than I wrote down in my planner on the first of April. Different goals than I had originally prioritized. I can still do those things too, but to keep my mind on positive things, I need these specific top three things for my focus.
What are the top three things you need to focus on to finish up the second quarter well? What things have been taking up your time and energy? Are those things the things you want to prioritize? These are the questions Chrystal asked in her podcast yesterday. I found them very helpful as I tried to find out what I needed to spend my time doing.
For more about picking your top three, check out the links in the resources section below. Please comment below with your top three.
PS I’ve been following Chrystal for a while now. I joined in the She’s Still There era. See the resources section for a link to the book.
Resources
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