A week ago, my pastor shared a message about something great happening to him. He was doing something ordinary when unexpectedly, an extraordinary sense of fullness filled him. He made sure we understood that it wasn’t because he was anything special. It could have … it can happen to anyone. He simply set himself up for a moment like that to find him. 

 

I started thinking about that. The gifts are here for the receiving. We don’t have to be special to receive daily gifts, but we do need to put ourselves in a posture of readiness—physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally.

 

None of our days have to be left up to chance when, with a little intention, we can stack the deck in our favor for memorable moments and an increased daily sense of fulfillment. What would setting yourselves up for receiving gifts look like for you?

 

For me that may include:
•    Adequate rest (This makes me more likely to be energetic and available for gifts.)
•    Having reasonable expectations of myself (Constantly having more things on my to-do list than I could ever accomplish in one day, perpetually denies me that satisfied, complete feeling at the end of a day.)
•    Nurturing my body, mind, and spirit in my favorite ways (With intention and planning, my days can be balanced so all parts of me are fed.)
•    A walk or other immersion in nature can always lead me to surprising moments of wonder and fullness.
•    Engaging in non-productive play (If I don’t balance my to-do’s with to-be’s, I will frequently feel restless and discontented instead of full and content.)
•    Reading a book, listening to music or a podcast (External inspiration is too available and too powerful to not tap into it daily.)
•    Wasting time with family and friends 

 

For that last one, I was going to say ‘meaningful time’ with family and friends, but even time spent wasted, doing nothing but being present is meaningful, although it may not appear to be at the time. 

 

Here’s an example of what that doesn’t look like. My husband and son like to watch football. I may lose some readers by saying this, but I’m not a huge football fan. To be clear, I appreciate any display of stellar athleticism and I enjoy watching the dedication it takes for an athlete to be a top performer in their field. So in that sense, I love watching almost any sport. 

 

Anyway, one Sunday our son came over to watch football and although I joined them on the couch, I was doing unimportant stuff on my laptop most of the time. I thought I was making an effort to spend time with them, but when he left, I realized I had missed out. I didn’t set myself up for fullness because I wasn’t all there. My body was in the room, but my mind and spirit were elsewhere and I missed opportunities to connect. 

 

On the next Sunday, I left my phone and laptop in another room. Even though we were just hanging out and watching football, I noticed there were exchanges occasionally that popped up because I was present. People can sense our presence or are absence and they will interact accordingly.

 

Sharing presence with one another is meaningful and leaves us feeling full. It made all the difference when I set the intention to be present—to share the same space, to be in the same moment, to have the same experience as them. The Sunday before, I was in the room, but I was having a completely different experience because I was mostly distracted.  (“Now that I know better, I do better.” ~Maya Angelou)

 

Our lives don’t have to be a gamble. By identifying what often leads to satisfaction and special moments, we can intentionally position ourselves each day to receive the gifts.

 

For today, let’s stack the deck in our favor so that by tonight, we can have that deliciously warm feeling from a rich, full day. 

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