Troyer Family Farm: Thankful

I tend to see myself as a fairly positive person. But lately I've been challenged to dig deeper. Of course we all have our bad days...weeks...sometimes years. Sometimes I get in such a hurry to do one more thing that my life is rushing by and I've missed all the blessings that God has laid before me. Psalm 39:6 "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing." This challenge came from a book I'm reading called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. It is literally stripping away a lot of junk from my heart and mind and helping me to refocus.

There's so much going on in our life right now. And I'm positive everyone else is just as busy. We have our normal day...which I'm not sure what normal is yet with three babes. Then daddy, chores, dinner, baths, trying to grab a shower, beautiful sleep...not enough, but beautiful nonetheless. It can all start to run together. She writes, "Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing....Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."

As a mom and wife I feel my life is a fast pace dance that I don't get time to stop and enjoy. Lists of things to do and only so much time to do it. Hurry! Rush! I can do one more load, put away one more toy, feed one more animal, and we haven't even started real school yet...aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! But this week...or at least for today, I want to live in the moment. That's when all time seems to stop and we see the blessing and feel the thanks and smile for all God has given. He is so good. As I read my children a book before bed and sit there with them watching their smiles and enjoy the moment, I realize how wonderful that is. I will never forget these precious moments. What else matters at this point? I am enjoying this gift of life that God has given for such a time as this.

She says something that changes my perspective..."The real problem of life is never a lack of time. The real problem of life-in my life-is a lack of thanksgiving." As I start to be thankful for each moment He gives, He starts to change my heart little by little. This life is too quick to let it pass in a rush. No one ever said I wish I could have worked another hour, did another load of laundry, mowed the lawn one more time. We wish and want for those moments etched in our minds of love and thanks. Lord help me slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God.

Recent "moments"