He grasps those little moments so well. Pulls the kids close, chooses to go play frisbee or a game of Uno, just because.

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-16 NRSV).

“It’s in the little moments,” Daniel whispered to me last week after playing an impromptu game of Kick the Can with the kids. I nodded, having seen him live this out a million times.

He grasps those little moments so well. Pulls the kids close, chooses to go play frisbee or a game of Uno, just because.

We have eight-and-a-half months left of school, and there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

But part of me wants to hold my breath, hibernate the long months away, and get past this hard season.

But these little moments are for living… for making the most of, for gathering joy.

The four-year-old just sleepily joined me on the couch, wrapped in a soft cuddle blanket. He grabs a book with only a few pages of pictures, and he flips through it for a minute till he gets bored. His warm hand finds the soft spot on my neck that he’s addicted to. I capture the joy and tuck it deep into my pocket.

There are joys to discover everywhere, even in hard seasons, in winter months, in times of being far from loved ones.

It’s these little moments where we gather joy, where our roots grow deep, where we cultivate a heart that can hear our Father whispering His promises.

It’s the little moments!

Author M. Troyer