little rewards

Life is full of small rewards, like when your son USES a napkin. We can choose to live life in hesitant anticipation of those mountain moments that do not come around very often. Or, we can relax in the small daily smiles that are the source of a deeper joy when taken as God has meant them to be; the substance or our lives. It is so easy to get caught up in the busy tasks of daily life and miss the hidden blessings that can be found in even the most mundane. I was skimming through some pictures from Florida looking for something to post and this one caught my eye. I do not know how many times while we were away that I found myself saying, "Jer, put your napkin on your lap." After living for several decades with menfolk, I was quite blessed to find one of them actually wiping there mouth with a napkin. Especially one so young as Jer. As moms we have an entire litany of instructions that flow from our hearts to our lips onto what we believe to be deaf ears. So for me to observe an unsolicited act of compliance brought a sweet smile to my face and touched my heart. It may seem as if I am being a bit tongue in cheek, and while there may be a wee bit of that, the picture truly blessed me.
Life can be full of trials and difficult challenges. Some folks have deep hardship. I do not want to make light of hard stuff, but laughter and small smiles are some of God's greatest gifts and finding them in the shadows of life make them even sweeter. Finding this picture wasn't hidden in the midst of a tough trial but in the mundane. I want to challenge myself to be constantly on the look out for happy moments. May God Bless each of us with bright spots and daily smiles.