I was listening to a podcast recently, and the speaker was sharing about a near-death experience they had been through. One of the things she mentioned was that we live life in the small moments, the ups and downs, the mundane.

Live in The Present

That line really stayed with me. As someone who has struggled to find contentment over the years, always coming up with the next big plan, it rings true. I think her perspective may be the key to fully embracing rest. I have at times led our family down paths we can’t afford, both financially and mentally, due to my desire to chase the next exciting dream. Living in the present, slowing down to find joy in the everyday moments, could be a key to feeling rested even when life is busy. Continually chasing the high moments in search of meaning can’t lead to lasting peace. It leads to hustle culture and an inability to slow down.

We Don’t Just Live Life On The Mountaintops

If we live for the highs, we never see the beauty in the tiny steps along the way. Life isn’t lived just on the mountaintops. We don’t just live it in the big occasions and grand celebrations. We live life in the laughter of a toddler and the smile of a stranger as you pass them by in the street. It’s in having a great cup of coffee in the morning and waking up thankful for all you have. Life is lived in the day-to-day, when you catch up with a friend or complete a project at work. It’s lived in the fight with your spouse, but then remembering why you still choose them every day. Every single day is made up of a thousand small moments, some good and some bad.

Contentment can be found in the day-to-day, the mundane. There can be joy in the good and the bad, not just the highs of life. It’s in learning to slow down and truly live in the small moments that we can embrace rest.