Whispers and Winks from God

Walking  for exercise is something I sometimes dread. There are times that I literally have to make myself go. This evening was one of those times. However, my wonderful husband gently scolded me and said, “You know, you don’t have to look at it that way. Look at it as time spent with me.” Wow! It’s amazing what happens when you look at things in a different perspective.  I ended up enjoying what I was dreading.  

Can we actually find joy in things we dread? Did you know that God’s word encourages this? In Ecclesiastes, you can find several chapters and verses that encourage us to change our perspective. Here’s just one example –

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13: “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” (NIV) 

After changing my perspective from a dreaded 2-mile walk for exercise to a joyful 2-mile stroll with my husband, I truly found satisfaction in my “toil!”

Besides sharing conversation with the man I love, he helped me open my eyes to God’s beauty around me. We saw a deer bedded in a field of tall grass. We saw beautiful wildflowers. We listened and heard different bird calls, including a woodpecker pecking away on a nearby tree. We heard the muk- muk sound a squirrel makes when calling its mate. All winks from God, reminding me that there is joy and satisfaction to be found in the everyday dread. So, the next time you find yourself dreading something, whether it’s getting up to go to work, or getting ready to exercise, etc. Just remember, there is always joy to be found in the dread!