Epic Family,

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking for any secret to make this season better. I have researched news articles. I have reached out to friends and mentors to see if they had discovered any hacks that would benefit me. I have certainly prayed, asking God to show me how to make the most of our current reality. So if you, like me, are looking for some secrets, I want to spend the next two weeks sharing both of the discoveries that have helped me most.

Before I give you the secrets, I need to share a disclaimer with you. I do not have good days every day. If you don’t believe me, go interview my family. But my days tend to be way better when I focus on the two ideas I want to share with you. The best two secrets I have discovered in this brutal season are these: find simple joy in each day and stay positioned for the long-term future. That’s right, my secret is to stay focused on today and the long-term future. Why? Because every time I start thinking about timelines or the messy process of the world returning to some version of “normal”, my anxiety is heightened amidst the uncertainty of it all. So I’m asking myself this question often: How can I make the most of today and stay positioned for the long-term future?

How to Find Simple Joy in Each Day

Ask God for your daily bread. In what has become known as The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs us to ask God for what we need each day (Luke 11:3). If we’re honest, we tend to want God to supply us with a year’s worth of bread. But what if you just ask God for what you need today? Ask for today’s strength, today’s wisdom, today’s energy, today’s hope, and today’s faith. 

Do not worry about tomorrow. Jesus actually said, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” (Matthew 6:34) I know the future is incredibly uncertain. And we usually worry about the future because we think that our worry will somehow bring us peace. But it never does; it actually increases our anxiety. I’m not saying you and I shouldn’t think about what’s ahead, but I am saying we shouldn’t think about it so much that it induces fear and anxiety in our lives.

Have a life-giving activity to look forward to every single day. I know we are restricted from doing so many of the things we love to do. At the same time, we all need something that brings us life to be part of our daily routines. If you aren’t currently doing this, let me encourage you to schedule 1-2 neighborhood walks each day. Maybe it’s pouring yourself a cup of tea at the same time each day. Or choose to read a chapter in a book that has nothing to do with your work each day. These experiences don’t have to be extravagant, but I do believe they need to be present in our daily rhythms.

Be kind to yourself when it comes to your expectations. What are you expecting from yourself each day? Are your expectations reasonable? We talk about God’s grace and kindness often. But ask yourself this question: What would it look like for me to be kind and gracious to myself each day, and ask Jesus to remove the burdens and expectations I have placed on myself?

Do something each day that brings joy to at least one other person. A hard season can actually increase our self-absorption and this is bad for us and everyone else in our lives. Decide what you can do each day that will bring joy to someone else in your life. 

Next week, I’ll give tips for how we can stay positioned for the long-term future.

Much Love,