Loving Life

You know, I really don’t like it when people tell you to ‘dance in the rain’ or to ‘make the most of each moment.’  It’s too flowery.  I want to know what dancing in the rain looks like in real life.   Don’t be a poet, be real.  So, because I am not a poet, and because I am frank (that reminds me of hot dogs and that makes me smile) I want to show you what it looks like to ‘be a lover of life,’ not because I am the ultimate lover of life, and not because I think you need to be like me.  But because I want you to know that your life is as exciting as I think mine is, and I want you to love it.

I smile inside because our dog didn’t even recognize that it was me when I parked in a different spot in the drive way. I continue to pour the leftover contents of my water bottle on the drive to make cool splatter marks even when I think someone might be watching me.  Life feels thrilling when there are so many things hogging our driveway (thanks to my brothers) that I can’t even figure out where to pull in.  I laugh when my brother-in-law tells me that ‘his family’ (which consists of him and his wife) picked out the name for their little kitten.  I let my heart feel big inside because I can see all my family outside working.  I smile wistfully as I iron little shirts and hear a chorus of little voices wanting to tell mommy something.   My heart feels full when I realize that I filled 6 glasses instead of 5 when my sister has been married for a year.  I want to sing as I hop on the tailgate of my brother’s truck and swing my legs all the way up to the house. And then I laugh when I hear my voice screech because I have a cold in the middle of summer and I just can’t sing.  I want to tell everyone how funny I think it is that I my voice is so deep right now that I sound like someone else I know.   When I try to drive with my knees as I eat breakfast on my way to work, I chuckle when I realize they are painfully sun burnt.  I love the look my brother gives me when I tell him I brought a bunch of old windows home so he can make me a little greenhouse.  Because I am so excited by the thought of sleeping outside by the campfire, I run….instead of walking.  And when my friend makes up a meaning for my name on Wikipedia because there wasn’t one, my heart dances.

 I wonder how many times we groan and God shakes his head and says, “Well, I thought that would make her smile.”  So, don’t grunt at your dog when he sits on your foot for the third time during supper….laugh because life just pulled a funny. 

Look for these kinds of joys in your life.  After all, I am quite sure that God did intend for us to take pleasure in life.  How much more this praises Him!!

Life is good, eternal life is better….