Small Comforts

 

When the days are long and the hope is hard to reach, stretch out a hand to the small delights of life, utilized by few, but available to us all.

·         The notepad on my phone, or the blank lines in my journal- I fill these with persistent thoughts that scoop needless anxiety upon my head. They are acknowledged, they are expressed, we can let them go, we can advance with a clear mind.

·         The sun filters through the blinds and hurls a streak of light against the wall. Tiny dried white flowers repose in a glass jar on a heavy wooden table. The shape of my husband’s face, the smile after he teases me, the strength of his being, of his mind, of his character. I note these things, learning to be grateful, finding comfort in the small quest of noticing what I love and being thankful for them.*

·         The feeling of dough between my fingers, soft, a little sticky, moldable, pliable, aromatic. Spicy cinnamon rolls cooling on the counter, old fashioned oatmeal cookies bursting with sweet raisins, exotic savory stuffed noodles carefully crafted and pinched into shape.

·         Technology is a nuisance, a caretaker, a blessing, a curse. Put it away, do something to chase your dreams, feel refreshed, productive, joyful.

·         A drink of cool water, a sip of tea, a gulp of coffee, a festivity of cider, a celebration of lemonade, refreshing and resetting.

·         A constant running to our Comfort, a speechless child of grace in awe of the One Who created the joys of life and of eternity.

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

 

 

*See One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp