Focus on the Rocks

I’m sitting at my table this morning, praying, and staring at five rocks. Five rocks my daughter picked up from outside, cleaned off, and brought in. Eleven years old and she still loves rocks. I love rocks. I love that she loves rocks. Most of all, I love that she sees beauty in so many little things around her. She’s connected to the world around her. She sees things.

Every morning, I pray that we (her and I) would see the good in each day, that we would notice every little blessing and choose to put our focus on those things. The negative? The things that go wrong? I pray that we would remember to toss those on Jesus’ shoulders because He says that He will take care of those things for us.

If you have any kind of trouble in your mind, give it to God. God has promised to take care of you.

1 Peter 5:7 EASY

Focus on the blessings and good, give God the rest.

We aren’t perfect at this, not by a long shot. But I pray it every morning, along with a few other important things, and some days we get it right.

So, when my daughter picks up rocks that no one else would notice and brings them in because they make her happy… I am so thankful. She saw beauty and found joy in something small. She sees God’s hand in creation and marvels at it.

We are the kind of people who, at least one of us, will always comment on how beautiful the sky looks, how pretty the houses are that we pass by, and how cute the dogs are that are out for their morning or evening walks.

Life is better this way.

God knew we would be better off putting our focus on the good in life which is why He tells us:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Philippians 4:8 MSG

This isn’t always easy. In fact, I’ve really been struggling for about a week and a half. I found out two days ago that I was fighting two infections… which affects every part of your being! After the first few doses of antibiotics, though, the sun is starting to shine again, and I even wanted to write and share this morning! Thank you, God!

Every day is filled with both good and bad. Every day is overflowing with both beauty and ugliness. We have the power to choose where we put our focus. God tells us to walk with gratitude overflowing in us every day. He tells us this because He knows it can literally change our lives, over time, when we begin to walk consistently in gratitude. Listen to what God says:

6 Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, 7 then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.

Philppians 4:6-7

Be saturated in prayer… tell God everything… with overflowing gratitude… AND THEN God’s wonderful peace, which doesn’t even make sense to our human selves, comes and settles on us!

Yes, please, God!

I pray that you have a day where you notice all of the little blessings and good things that are going on around you. Happy Thursday!