Life can be hard, challenging, disappointing, painful, cruel, and down right depressing.

Life can also be beautiful, adventurous, joyful, calm, invigorating, kind, and bountiful.

Life can be and is all of these things.

It’s a chaotic mixture at times that can sway from one extreme to the other. Yet, in it all, one of the greatest lessons we can learn is how to continuously grow in our love and enjoyment of God.

Enjoying the good things He blesses us with each day. For all good things flow from Him, as does our capacity to enjoy such goodness. For what value are good things if we can’t, or don’t even allow ourselves to enjoy them?

One of the greatest gifts of goodness we have is life itself. Life is an incredible display of beauty, majesty, creativity, and goodness. It should be celebrated, honored, cared for, and enjoyed – all life.

This doesn’t mean we live in state of denial, and blind positivity. Rather, we acknowledge the hard and grieve it. We allow ourselves to feel the pain, yet with full clarity and with even greater delight for the good things we have experienced and get to share.

Celebrating life isn’t always easy. In fact, it can often feel like a battle. Therefore, we may prefer at times to live in a state of denial, and distraction – for that may seem easier than engaging the battle, feeling the emotions, and awakening ourselves to what’s both good and real.

However, life is a precious gift, and God is with us and for us. We needn’t lose hope. May we learn to be on lookout, aware of, and grateful for all the life, goodness, and beauty that surrounds us. It’s here, because God here too.