a good day

"we had such a good day!". "eh, it was an ok day.". "when are you coming home? it has been a day.".

any of these sounds familiar in your house? these are some samples of my report to my husband over dinner each evening, then elaborating on what the day actually consisted of.

what makes a "good day" for you?

for me, a good day means...

{a calm morning with my family. no where to go right away, just enjoying those morning hours (my favorite time of day).

{hanging out with a friend/friends, perhaps with coffee but definitely with laughter

{working out. I know, call me crazy, but exercise having exercised is actually fun for me.

{quality time with my husband. you know-- finishing an actual conversation, laughing together, chatting and catching up on life.

{no tantrums, fussing, or whining. from me or the kids. ha.

{good food. duh.

{spending decent time in the Word. meaning, more than a "skim a quick chapter while the kids are eating breakfast" kind of time.

{feeling rested. I don't actually remember what this feels like, but I would be remiss not to include it on my "good day" list.

{sunshine. no explanation necessary.

{some productivity. gotta add it. i'm a check-things-off-the-list girl, so a productive day is almost always a good day.

{laughing and snuggling with, kissing and hugging, reading books and playing games with my munchkins. the non-tantrum/fussy/whiny ones. ;)

{chocolate. in a separate category from food. because it's chocolate.

it's a good list, if I do say so myself. all of these sounds fabulous, in fact, and to smoosh them all together in one day would be extraordinary.


but what if God had something bigger for me?


what if a "good day for Amanda", according to Jesus, meant more than fun times and yummy food? was deeper than checking my to-do's and feeling caught up with my husband?

please note: these are all GOOD things.

but God formed our hearts. He made us in His likeness. He specifically designed me, with my own particular inclinations and abilities. i'm guessing He has a clue what could be BEST for me.


it might mean we have a crazy morning, rushing out the door for an appointment; it might be too busy for a workout or coffee; it could include all kinds of whining and fussing, perhaps even making us late to said appointment; it may be a day where my husband is on a work trip, I haven't had a full night of sleep in eighteen days, and time in the Word means we listened to Christian music in the car. let's be real here.

but, where is my heart? am I depending on the Creator God who entered into history in human likeness and knows every temptation of my heart (and by the power of the Holy Spirit, did not sin)? am I relying on my own strength, ability, patience, self-control, and happiness to make it through the day?

i'll be honest; most days, I am depending on myself. I acknowledge God as powerful enough, gracious enough, and present enough, but then I don't invite Him along for the ride. I murmur a polite, "I've got this, thanks." then busy through my day, hoping to please Him, praying for a good day.

but He is our treasure. It is His presence that sustains us.

"In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

"The Psalmist speaks as one already in the Promised Land, enjoying the best it has to offer. And above it all, God Himself is his greatest blessing; his portion, his inheritance, and everything he has that is good." Mike Wilkerson, Redemption

Even in the midst of all the good things in life, or the days that don't quite meet our expectations, we can trust in our greatest Treasure to sustain us and be our Joy, our Peace, our Hope.

Have a good day!