How’s your week been going? Was it filled with a flurry of activities like ours? The Narrawaggles have had an interesting week. Busier than normal; happens around the holidays I guess.

Work Christmas party, First Lego League Competition, youth group, doctor’s appointments X 3, volunteering, dance, grocery shopping, Christmas shopping, work (work and some more work), snow removal (ad nauseam), Christmas crafting, chorus concert, school… and the housework…

(Including some pictures of the fun stuff if you’re interested.)

It’s easy to get lost in the days be they busy or filled with nothing. Too commonly I miss the good moments. There were a few sweet ones this week during our Advent devotions. Originally, I had these idilic images in my head of our family sitting serenely together in the living room while taking turns reading scripture, I’d read the devotion and we’d discuss the questions before hanging up the next ornament.

Yeah. Have you met my family? I don’t think we do serene.

And we sure don’t sit still.

I think it was because of the busy-ness that we stumbled into doing the Advent devotion during dinner.  Most days I ask the family questions to hear about and process their day so turning that towards Advent has fit naturally in that timeframe. (A bonus: they are much quieter when eating!)

Advent really has been making me think. Think on the scripture. Think on our blessings. Think on some hard questions.

Enter the sweet spot(s).

I’d like to think at some point in life I’ll get to the sweet spot. You know, an optimum point in life when all factors combine and personalities align and life is good. But the more time goes on I know the reality is life is good and I find sweet spots when I choose to look for them. 

Advent devotions has offered a lot of them. From sharing our daily blessings (and Calah’s humorous answer, “achoo.” Because she thought the blessing of, “God Bless You.”) to digging into scripture and seeing the beauty of GOd’s rescue story found throughout the pages of Old through New.

But most of all the sweet spots in the people around the table. Whether the topic at hand brought a hard hitting “ah ha” moment, a knowing glance exchanged between parents from the across the ends of the table, or an (unexpected) answer from a child.
And this guy got me last night. He’s a deep thinker but often he’s lost in thought about less than deep topics. The scripture was from 1 Kings 18 where Elijah  challenged the people to no longer waiver between following 2 things, “‘If the LORD is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!’ But the people were completely silent.”

The devotion asks, “How can you tell is something is a false god in your life?” And Isaiah’s hand popped up and he chimed in with an answer from the reading. “You have a false God if following it has you hurt yourself or hurt someone else.” Even when eating dinner, noise from other kids or his own thoughts could have distracted him, Isaiah was listening. Listening not just to hear words but to absorb them.

And I looked right at him, glanced around the table, and caught Josh’s eyes as I gave thanks to God for that sweet spot right there. The rest of the discussion might not have  gone as I’d hoped, the kids might have been super noisy, we adults may have struggled to keep our focus in the midst of the day’s events… but that second right there was so sweet.

I’m glad I didn’t miss it.

All too often I’m longing for the “an optimum point in life when all factors combine and personalities align and life is good,” and I miss the sweet spots right in front of me.

May I have eyes to see and the presence of mind to remember!

Have you had any sweet spot moments lately? How do you choose to be more present in the moment? What do you do to help remember their occurrences?