Stop Saving Joy For Later

Have you ever noticed how much stuff we save for later?
The good dishes.
The expensive candle that smells amazing but apparently must remain unlit until royalty visits.

The outfit hanging in the closet waiting for the “right occasion.”
The bottle of perfume we use one tiny spritz at a time because we don’t want to run out.
And sometimes, without realizing it, we start doing the same thing with joy.

We tell ourselves:
I’ll be happy when things settle down.
I’ll enjoy life when I feel better.
I’ll relax when everything gets done.
I’ll do that thing I’ve always wanted to do someday.
But someday is a slippery little word.
It keeps moving.

Joy can be drinking your morning coffee from the mug you usually save for company.
It can be sitting outside for ten minutes just because the sun feels good.
Calling someone who makes you laugh.
Playing music too loudly while you’re making dinner.
Buying yourself flowers.
Eating dessert on a Tuesday.
And yes, using the good towels.
You are good-towel worthy.

There will probably always be something unfinished.
Laundry will magically reproduce. Bills will continue arriving with impressive punctuality. Someone will need
something. Plans will change. Bodies will complain. And just about the time we think we have life figured
out, life rearranges the furniture.

What Are We Waiting For?

So maybe joy isn’t something we should postpone until everything is perfect.
Maybe joy belongs right here.
In the middle of the ordinary.

Joy Doesn’t Mean Everything Is Okay

Choosing joy doesn’t mean ignoring the difficult parts of life.
Some seasons are hard.
There are losses we don’t simply “get over.” There are circumstances we wouldn’t have chosen. There are
prayers we’re still waiting to see answered.

Joy doesn’t erase those things.
It simply reminds us that hardship doesn’t get to own every square inch of our lives.
There can still be laughter in a difficult season.
There can still be beauty during uncertainty.
There can still be gratitude when life isn’t going according to plan.
Sometimes joy and sorrow even sit at the same table.

God Gave Us Today

Psalm 118:24 says:
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Notice it doesn’t say:
This is the day the Lord has made, once everything goes according to your plans.
It says this day.
This ordinary Tuesday.
This messy Wednesday.
This Sunday when your hair refuses to cooperate and you’re already running late.

This day
Maybe that’s the invitation.
Not to wait for a better life before we start living the one we’ve been given.
Use the Good Stuff
So light the candle.
Wear the outfit.
Use the fancy dishes.
Call the friend.
Sit outside and watch the sunset.
Take the picture.
Laugh loudly.
Order dessert.
Tell someone you love them.
And stop waiting for a special occasion to enjoy the things that make life beautiful.

Because maybe we’ve misunderstood something all along.
Being here is the special occasion.
Today isn’t a rehearsal for your life.

Today is your life.
So go ahead…..use the good dishes.
And while you’re at it, use the good towels too.

Julie Payne