I remember praying for what I now have.
Certainty that no matter what, someone would not just love me, but would also allow me to rest my heart in their hand.
I prayed for it.
I cried for it.
I waited for it.
What I didn't know was that I would one day look at this answered prayer as just another day in the neighborhood. I would gain so much comfort in consistency that I would nearly forget the value in the beat of a heart. And that's one of the biggest mistakes we can ever make...
To forget that what we now have is a result of something we once begged God for.
Unknowingly I started to feel entitled to love. I felt entitled to genuine connection and commitment, somehow gaining amnesia of the bloody battlefield that love had offered me for nearly a decade. While love never left, I must say appreciation was a thing of the past.
Perhaps it's not a lesson in love that we need, but a lesson in appreciation. Perhaps we need to learn how to always appreciate the small things, because when the small thing is gone; you may realize just how big it really was.
Appreciation goes both ways. As much as you want to be appreciated so does the one you love. We often get bogged down in the tricks and plays of adolescents, wondering who will do what first; eventually marrying the notion of always returning the same energy when perhaps you should be the one to ignite the flame. How many failed love stories could have been restored if only one person realized that their true appreciation for someone meant more than being shown appreciation FIRST.
This blog is for you to read, but it's for me to always remember that I appreciate what I now have. It's not perfect but there's no doubt that it's God's best for me. I believe it's going to last forever, but removing time from the table, my truth is that I appreciate the fullness of process and progress right now in this moment. I don't know what the future holds, but I don't think appreciation is meant to live in tomorrow. Appreciation is for reflection on yesterday and action today.
Show your special someone how much you appreciate them. If you don't have a "special someone", today is a good day to appreciate yourself.
-B.Reel