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emily p. freeman

Creating space for your soul to breathe so you can discern your next right thing.

Tuesdays Unwrapped

It was a Friday, not a Tuesday. But it was a moment worth unwrapping. John, in the front yard of my sister’s house, playing football with our kids and her kids. The day was cold so I mainly watched from the window. But I stood there for longer than was necessary.

footballIt felt like home, watching them all together like that. Being on the land, standing in the warm living room, listening to Mom and Myquillyn chat in the kitchen about how much longer the ham needed to cook.

footballI loved every minute of it. We live in these moments. We live with these people — who teach me to listen, to forgive, to have patience, to understand. These are the moments that make a life, rounding out the jagged edges of lists and deadlines and everyday schedules.

footballBut these moments come small and silent in the midst of our busy days. The won’t beg to be unwrapped, they simply present themselves and move softly on.

May we have eyes to see them today.

Simply Tuesday on Instagram

Updated to add: I hope you’ll choose one gift of your ordinary day and find the miracle secret it holds. Write it out, breathe it in, capture its image, see it new. And then share it on Instagram using #itssimplytuesday – we do this every week on Tuesdays. I hope you’ll join in.

Filed Under: family, Tuesdays Unwrapped

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna says

    December 10, 2013 at 11:52 AM

    Emily, you are my gift today. I’ve been a bit shut in with a throat virus – ONLY a throat virus that is all thankfully – but one can feel a bit bored shut in. And your words are a reminder to appreciate what is within my walls. But also you give me something else to look at! So thank you. Been turning pages of A Million Little Ways again lately having finished it a few weeks ago. It’s a very special book. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Emily says

      December 10, 2013 at 11:55 AM

      I hope you feel better soon, Anna!

      And thank you for your words about the book.

      Reply
  2. Katie Emanuel {Wonderfully Made} says

    December 10, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    “These are the moments that make a life, rounding out the jagged edges of lists and deadlines and everyday schedules.” This spoke to my heart today, Emily. Tuesdays are hectic at our house as we go to several therapies for my son who has special needs. Tuesdays Unwrapped is helping me find joy and peace in them. Thank you for this gift each week.

    Reply
  3. Pat B says

    December 10, 2013 at 1:26 PM

    Lately it has been hard finding the “gift” in this hectic and chaotic mess. Combining households was never looked at as easy. But now with no hot water, bathroom walls cut out and the “hurry up and wait” for plumbers, insurance and warranty companies and all the other little things—well, the challenges just keep coming. Then there’s the mess of all the Christmas boxes in the middle of the front room.
    But the gift is getting to share the lives of my son and daughter-in-law and 2 of our 7 grandchildren every day. That is so much bigger than the mess. God has blessed us and I want to focus on that today and everyday.

    Reply
  4. Laurie Collett says

    December 10, 2013 at 1:47 PM

    Praise God for these special moments — love shared by family; the beauty of His creation; revelations from His Word, that sustain us. Thanks for the lovely post & for hosting & God bless.

    Reply
  5. Ondrea says

    December 10, 2013 at 2:11 PM

    We get very busy at my house in the morning. I have 3 wonderful people to wake up, none of them morning people, so we always end up rushing out the door. Except this morning. My 4 year old finally woke up as we were walking out and hugged my leg, which made me stop. He said mommy I just want to hug you and of course I stopped because there is always time for a hug. I squeezed him and told him how much I loved him and it hit me that time has gone by so fast. I need to stop more for hugs. After hugging my son I wrapped up my daughter for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her beautiful face lit up. I never want to be so busy that I miss out on moments like that.

    Reply
  6. monica thomas says

    December 10, 2013 at 6:14 PM

    my husband was diagnosed with early onset alzheimer’s 2 years ago and since thanksgiving we have moved on to him not remembering that i am his wife. it has been very difficult but i am determined to look for something good each day. today my tuesday gift came when we went outside to clean snow off the sidewalk and car. our daughter who was happy to have a snow day came out to clean her car off and discovered the snow was wet and made good snowballs. so we had a little snowball fight! it was great seeing my husband having fun making and throwing snowballs….some things you can never forget no matter what!!

    Reply
    • emily p freeman says

      December 10, 2013 at 6:19 PM

      Monica, I can’t imagine at all what that must feel like for you. I’m glad you can see the small gifts, even in the midst of grief.

      I also hope you don’t feel pressure to walk through this difficult time in any certain way – that you have a place to be honest, however ugly that might get.

      Thanks for stopping by today.

      Reply
      • monica thomas says

        December 11, 2013 at 5:30 PM

        thank you emily…..some days are ugly and i just ask for prayers.

        Reply
  7. Lisa Littlewood says

    December 10, 2013 at 7:43 PM

    I love this idea and have been reading through some of these posts the last two weeks…I decided to be brave and link up my own today (: Thank you for the reminder that THESE moments are the ones that count.

    Reply
  8. Teresa Hardymon says

    December 11, 2013 at 2:36 AM

    Unwrapping a family moment is always the best kind of gift.

    Reply
  9. Heather Wilson says

    December 11, 2013 at 8:38 AM

    Linking through Lori Harris’s blog, I love both of your writings, but I’m not a blogger. However, your postings blessed me, so I thought I’d share that I woke up Tuesday dreading the day – dreading seeing my boss, talking to my boss about the issues ahead of me, doing my work, and all the weight gained and nausea I’m having now in the early throws of number 4 – but when I was honest enough to share with my husband, he grabbed me strongly and prayed. And God knew I needed that prayer yesterday and that husband so long ago. We’re both sooo imperfect, but I trust God knows what He’s doing in it all.

    Reply
  10. amber@grace.to.be says

    December 11, 2013 at 3:22 PM

    “eyes to see…” yes!
    this has been my prayer this christmas season.

    love tuesdays unwrapped, emily.
    it’s how i first found you 🙂
    from a friend that was participating.
    i need to get over my shyness and join in too!!!

    xo.

    Reply
  11. Kendra Burrows says

    December 13, 2013 at 4:50 AM

    I’m late. I enjoyed Tuesday with my monkey too much to interrupt the fun! Those are the best kinds of days; I wrote about it in Tuesday Blessings.

    Reply
  12. Erin says

    February 13, 2014 at 1:09 PM

    dancing in the kitchen with my Husband for a few minutes… and he even helped me make mini cheesecakes too! Such a sweet moment for us ~ we so often forget to be romantic in these simple ways.

    Reply

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