Look Again
Have you ever searched everywhere for something, only to realize it was sitting right in front of you the whole time?
I've done that more times than I'd like to admit. (Yes...I'm giggling a bit right now.) My keys. My glasses. My phone.
Sometimes, I think we do the same thing with joy. We keep looking for the next milestone. The next answer. The next season. The next breakthrough. I remember doing this with every new baby—waiting for them to sleep through the night, celebrating crawling, then walking, and thinking, Just wait until they can eat solid food. All the while, today's gifts—the present moments—quietly waited to be noticed.
This month has reminded me of that. A birthday week with my daughter. A warm cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon. A sunset outside my window. The smell of fresh basil. Laughter drifting upstairs from a room full of teenagers. None of those moments changed my circumstances, but every one of them reminded me that God is still writing a beautiful story...even here.
For a long time, I thought joy would return when life looked more like it used to. When I could walk again. When my days were no longer carefully measured by my capacity bucket. When I could take my kids on fun dates. When I could wake up and be the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl I used to be.
Instead, I've discovered something unexpected. Joy has been faithfully meeting me right where I am—not in spite of this season, but in the middle of it. Perhaps that's what God has been teaching me throughout this healing journey: to stop waiting for life to become different before fully living the life He's given me today. And that's exactly what I've been learning to do.
I still pray for healing. I still hope for breakthroughs. I still believe the best is yet to come. But I don't want to miss today's blessings while I'm waiting for tomorrow's miracles.
So as July comes to a close, I'm taking one practice with me: I'll keep looking again. Because every day holds another opportunity to notice God's goodness, and I have a feeling He's just getting started.
I'm living my best life—not because life is perfect, but because I've learned that joy isn't waiting for me somewhere down the road. By God's grace, it's already here.
JOY-FUELED COACHING TIP
Grab a sheet of notebook paper—not your phone notes. Stay present.
Look back over your July JOY Moments list.
Circle three moments that brought a genuine smile to your face.
Then write one sentence:
"This month, God reminded me..."
Remember...
Your brain remembers experiences you pause to reflect on. Looking back helps strengthen gratitude and makes it easier to recognize joy in the days ahead.
SCRIPTURE TO HOLD FOR JOY
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..." — James 1:17
JOY FOR THE JOURNEY
Joy isn't something you have to chase. Sometimes it's simply waiting for you to look again.
LET'S JOURNEY TOGETHER WITH JOY
Friend, thank you for spending July with me.
I hope these simple moments have reminded you that joy doesn't have to wait for perfect circumstances.
Join me next month as we continue walking this journey together—one faithful step, one meaningful moment, and one joy-filled choice at a time.
Join me each week for Tip Tuesday, and visit my Joy-Fueled Lifestyle Hub for simple encouragement, practical tools, and gentle reminders to keep choosing joy—right where you are.
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