I was leaving the house for an early morning meeting.  Gavin, our son, was on the couch watching Sports Center.  As I was leaving, I squeezed his arm and said, "Enjoy your day!"  He looked at me totally befuddled, and said, "But, I have to go to school."

If you look at the Facebook post up above, it looks like Kristen had a similar conversation an hour later as Gavin left for school on his bike.

Here's the question for Gavin and for all of us: "How do you find joy in the midst of the mundane? " 

How do you enjoy school, commuting, taking exams, or sitting on long conference calls (watch this funny video)?  How do you truly enjoy work, paying the bills, scheduling flights, changing diapers?  Where is the joy to be found in cleaning the house, mowing the yard, building the client base, or waking up multiple times a night for feedings?

"Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."-Hebrews 12:2-3 

Jesus found JOY in the cross.  How? Because he knew what it was going to accomplish.  Was it painful?  Absolutely.  Was it a happy-go-lucky time to go through?  Not at all!  But there was a deep joy in knowing that it was going to be used for God's greater good.  

So how do we find joy in those moments?

1. No Navel Gazing: We so often fixate on ourselves (navel gazing) or our situation to give us joy.  But Hebrews says that Jesus is the begnning and end of our faith... our source of joy. Because of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, he is enough no matter what. When it gets tough, pause and pray, "Jesus, I'm looking to you to be my joy, not________."
2. Go Long: We live in a culture that is looking for pleasure now, not later.  Many are willing to go into debt to have pleasure now, rather than save now to be financially secure later.  We tend to forego the best later for the pleasure now.  But, our kids are picking up cues about how to live later from how we live now.  So ask, "Is _____ the foundation on which I want to build the future?"
3. Move To The Front Yard: Kristen shared this with me.  It's just as easy to sit on my front porch as my back porch.  The difference is that I'll engage more people out front. It's easy to just put our head down and push through a day, a task, or chore.  But every situation is one where God is at work.  There is someone who needs gospel love, encouragement, and words around you all the time.  So pray, "God, how do you want to use me right here and now?"

Imagine how joyful life would be if Jesus was all-satisfying in every situation. Imagine how much meaning and purpose daily activities would have if I conciously kept the longterm in the front of my mind everyday.  Imagine how much significance would come if I intentionally saw every grocery store run or school/ office workday as a divine appointment to be used by God in someone's life.

No navel gazing...  Go long...  Move to the front yard....