life.

life. ah, that word: life. so, I'm one of those crazy people who happens to fall in love with certain words and phrases sometimes.  there are just some words that, when I read or hear them, stir up this feeling in me.  it's like a strange combination of excitement and hope and expectation and like there is so much more to the world than the mundane things we see and do and think every day.  and life is one of these words.  there are so many facets of life and details and intangible things that we can't see but we know exist in life; it makes it hard not to notice how beautiful it all is.  at the same time though, there is so much pain and hurt and hate and disappointment.  but I feel like these things only serve to deepen life.  we're caught up in the midst of them while they're happening to us, but the moment we get the chance to zoom out and see the big picture, we understand it all.  that's the way I feel at least, and it's a beautiful feeling sometimes. 

but it's so easy to get caught up in the daily things - the things that drain our energy and make us waste our emotions.  and we forget to enjoy life.  more importantly, we forget to enjoy God.  I got this facebook message from this rad sista that I sometimes refer to as my best friend about enjoying God more.  this is what she said (here's your big spotlight, lc!): "You know what I just realized that I've been missing? I've completely lost the thrill of the love of God, the excitement... I've been so concerned with trusting Him and loving Him and focusing on Him that I forgot to enjoy Him. All of the aforementioned are important and necessary, but the Christian life is not supposed to be like fighting to walk through a hurricane. We're supposed to dance in the rain. Though we get off balance and fall or slip on a slick bit of pavement, we still get back up and begin to dance again."  beautifully put, my dear.  and so true.  I have really lost my joy in Christ's presence because I have been so concerned with trying to live my life every day and fit Him in there as much as possible.  I was pushing Him into my life as often as I remembered.  and forgetting that He is with me at all times, giving me strength and peace and sending me little love notes.  I've forgotten that I'm fiercely loved and enjoyed by Him and that He wants me to enjoy Him also.  it's hard in the midst of a day's worries, but it's worth it.  I've been reminded of Christ's love for me by several different things today, and each time I've been filled with joy.  and not that flighty, sillly kind of joy that only stays for a moment, but that deep kind of joy that makes you want to dance around and sing and smile at everyone you walk by.  it's like a peace kind of joy.  it rocks.  today I am thankful for friends far and near, for surprises and cold weather, and for the ability to outwardly express happiness.  who knows what would happen to me if I couldn't.  I just might burst or something.