God Winks

God Winks

Rule #22: Flossie knows what’s up.

My Great Grandma, Flossie, used to say, “Whether the sky is blue or grey, there is always something to love or laugh at or smile at each and every day.” I think she was onto the secret of happiness in this sometimes crazy, difficult, painful, and confusing life.

I took this picture in the middle of the evening chaos: dinner on the stove (hopefully not burning), news channel on and blaring all the intense news from the day, Brooke waiting to be fed in her high chair, Corey asking, “Mama, wanna play?!” as he swings his baseball bat in the middle of the living room, and Jon Boy trying to wrap up a day’s work in his office. It was in the absolute insanity of this moment that I looked out the window and saw our crazy dog against the background of nothing less than a perfect sunset. I grabbed my phone (pretty sure I had raw meat on my hands still after making meatballs), ran outside, and snapped a quick reminder of the beauty of the simple things.

Lately, it feels like every day is Groundhog Day. As a stay-at-home parent, or as I’d like to think of it, a parent-who-works-from-home-and-doesn’t-get-paid-for-it, it’s easy to get into the hum-drum rhythm of everyday life. Wake up, take allergy meds, make coffee, make bottle, get milk for Corey, let the dog out, get kids up, make breakfast, blah, blah, blah, and the beat goes on. It’s a gorgeous thing when you step back and look at it, but in the moment, the days can drag into weeks. I sometimes find myself asking, “What did I ACTUALLY do today?” True, I kept two tiny humans alive, fed everyone, and managed to brush my teeth at least once, but what’s the concrete evidence that I was productive? Lord knows my laundry room would be proof that I’m a lazy bum not worth her weight in Tide Pods.

I was telling my sweet friend that I sometimes look for Love Drops or some good signs from God that “it’s all good” and to relish in the moment. (It’s a serious act in mental and emotional fitness to stop, appreciate the chaos, and continue with the day, ya know?) She said, “Oh you mean like God Winks!” UHMM HELLO, GENIUS! Yes! God Winks!

God winks are those tiny moments when God reveals Himself to say, “Look girl. I gotchyou. You’re doing okay. And even if you’re not, I’m here. You are not alone. I remember. I know you. You are mine.”

Now, no matter what you believe, whether you are a Christian, Muslim, agnostic, undetermined, refuse-to-be-labeled, whatever… we can all appreciate that in life, we’re given the chance to stop and relish in what we do have. It’s something that doesn’t come naturally, unfortunately. It’s a muscle we have to exercise in order for it to be at peak performance. But oh the absolute joy in finding those God Winks, those love drops to hold onto. They are the things that get me through the everyday, sometimes draining tasks that seem to pile on top of me like debt in Vegas.

One of the most touching God Winks I can think of lately, besides the gorgeous sunset and my insane pup, would have to be when I found a sweet relic from way back in the ancient days when I was a kid. My brother and I had made these funky, slightly unattractive bunnies for our Dad for Easter. I honestly can’t remember where or when we made them, or if my Dad was there for the process or my Mom helped us make them. I just know that in the moment when I was getting Easter baskets ready, wishing oh-so-painfully my Dad and brother could be there to see our kids on Easter morning, I got a God Wink. I found that funky bunny craft in the pile of plastic Easter eggs waiting to be filled. I knew that I wasn’t alone. I knew God had my back. I knew He was giving me a good ole winky-wink full of love, grace, and warmth.

I’m writing this to encourage the God Wink process in your life. Find those happy moments, the things to love, the fleeting seconds of unadulterated joy that truly do permeate the everyday life we live. I’m hoping to also pay-it-forward and be someone else’s God Wink. I hope that a smile, a kind word, even the choice to not react to a situation will be the difference in someone’s good day.

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