Journaling Challenge 15: Renewal
Allergies aside, I love the springtime. The rebirth of nature that happens all around us during the spring fills me with a fresh sense of awe for life. It also inspires me to make changes in my life, to renew areas that have perhaps fallen by the wayside in the busyness of life.
One area I am trying to renew in my own life is in learning how to be content in all circumstances. Lately, as I have gone through my day and walked through my home, instead of feeling overwhelmingly blessed by so much, (we Americans don’t realize what a luxury it is to have filtered water in our refrigerator doors, instead of having to walk miles to the nearest water source and gather enough water for the family for the day! I admit I recently complained to a friend about how long it was taking to fill up a gallon pitcher!) I have just felt overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with the quantity of tiny toys littering my living room. Overwhelmed at the non-stop stream of dirty dishes and laundry. Overwhelmed at the sheer volume of STUFF in our house. When really, I want to be thankful for everything. Tiny toys in the living room mean two young children are learning through imaginative play. Non-stop laundry and dishes mean we are well-clothed and well-fed. And a house full of stuff means we have plenty of things to share with those who are in need – and what a blessing it is to bless others with our things!
The steps I am taking to be content are by being thankful for every item I run across. If it’s trash, I give thanks that I have a trash can in my house, and another outside, and that there is a service that comes by weekly and takes it away. If it’s a Squinkie I have stepped on in the middle of the night (so glad those things are squishy, and that my kids are still too young for Legos!), I’m thankful for the fun my children have when playing with those toys. I am also trying to really think about how different life is for so many others around the world – like the aforementioned trek to a water source, when all I have to do is take a few steps pretty much any direction in my house!
It’s a slow process, but it is working. I am discovering that as I give thanks for the smallest things, I am more appreciative of them and less likely to feel resentment toward their upkeep.
This Week’s Challenge
Today’s journaling challenge is to write about what renewal means to you.
What comes to mind when you hear the word?
What one thing in your life have you renewed recently?
What is one area of your life that could use some renewal?
What are three steps you could take this next week to start working toward change in that area?
When you finish, come back and tell us what you’ve done. If you blogged, please link us up! Did you write on paper? Snap a photo and show us. Share with us how you’ve expressed yourself with this challenge!
~Joana
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