Treasure Hunt Tuesday: A Tale of a Bad Day’s Turnaround

One of the big reasons I write is because I want to remember the treasures and grace God provides “out of His fullness.” Whether individual moments or days feel empty, full, or somewhere in between, God is continually providing with grace upon grace and blessing upon blessing. However, if I’m not intentionally looking with expectation, I could miss seeing, noticing, and giving thanks for those gifts and treasures that are right in front of me.

When I read what other people share about how God has helped them through difficulties or reminded them of His awesome presence in even the mundane tasks of daily life, it stirs my heart to recognize His working in my own life, too. So it’s continually my prayer that when you read the feeble words I write, they can prompt something in your heart to know how much God is providing in His love for you as well.

A few days ago, I woke up discouraged about a situation that had been weighing on my heart, and I could definitely feel a bad day coming on. But I’d like to share a few of the ways God provided to help turn around the day and my perspective, even when the situation hadn’t changed at the time.

(Disclaimer: This is not a prescription trying to say that if you do these exact things, you won’t have bad days, of course. It’s simply descriptive of what has helped me recently in hopes something might be encouraging and helpful for you, too.)

Being honest with God in prayer

Sometimes this might sound obvious and could be what we immediately turn toward doing, but in other moments, bringing our full hearts before God in prayer is not a typical first step, especially if we feel guilty for even struggling with something we consider not important enough to bring us down. We might try to “just get over it” on our own or push through the day with determination in our own strength instead.

But for this particular day, one of the things that was helpful for me, even if I didn’t feel it immediately, was pouring out all my frustrations, tears, and discouragement to God in prayer at the beginning of the day. He already knows them all, but bringing them out in the open before Him can help make room for His peace to overtake my heart.

Blasting the worship music

When the discouragement would try to keep creeping in, I decided I needed an upbeat worship song to help me get moving. This was not avoidance since I had already poured out my heart to the Lord and still had an honest posture in my heart, but I needed the truth to be louder than the lies. The song that came to my mind was one I hadn’t listened to in ages, but I played it on repeat several times in a row:

God Will Lift Up Your Head  by Jars of Clay

From the first notes and lyrics, my heart begins to swell with encouragement, but the last verse always finds a way of hitting me afresh even more deeply:

“Through waves and clouds and storms
He gently clears the way
Wait ‘cause in His time so shall this night
Soon end in joy
Soon end in joy…”

Joy is coming. Remembering that promise gives me hope not only for the future but also for today. God is continuing to work in every detail, and His plans will never fail. So I can keep trusting Him moment by moment.

Finding encouraging posts on social media

I know social media isn’t always the most uplifting place to hang out, and overdoing it can lead to more discouragement than help. However, following uplifting friends, authors, speakers, and musicians can bring sparks of hope and timely reminders as well.

One of the posts I read that day was from author Jennifer Dukes Lee on Instagram with this exhortation:

Just because God isn’t moving
at the pace you’d hoped,
just because the doors aren’t opening,
just because you can’t see the fruit,
doesn’t mean God isn’t working through you.
Trust that God has a plan,
but that it might make sense
only when seen in reverse.”

How often do I need to be reminded that God’s ways are perfect and beyond what we can comprehend right now? I want to keep trusting even when I can’t see what He’s doing yet. (Are you sensing a theme here?)

I was also encouraged by this post from Kelly Minter, who just released a new Bible study on the life of Joseph, Finding God Faithful:

(See original post here.)

The story of Joseph from the book of Genesis always holds a special place in my heart, but that day I just appreciated the simple reminder that God works in everything for good (which makes me think back to Romans 8:28 as well).

Listening to a timely podcast

Another encouragement for my day was listening to Annie F. Downs interview Lisa-Jo Baker for her That Sounds Fun podcast. I especially loved the last 10-12 minutes of their conversation for so many reasons. Then Lisa-Jo even mentioned that she feels like she’s constantly on a “treasure hunt,” trying to remind herself that God is real.

She said she likes to ask her friends, “How have you seen God for real in your life recently?”

A bit later, Lisa-Jo answered her own question when Annie posed it back to her: “I say these days I see Him in my most ordinary moments, because I believe that’s where the Kingdom lives.”

Amen. I love seeing so many different ways God makes Himself known to His people, and I appreciated the reminder that His Kingdom is here with us and in us now.

Then at the very end of the episode, Annie told us that her guest for her next podcast was going to be singer/songwriter Chris Rice! Thankfully I was listening to the episode with Lisa Jo a couple of days after it was released, so I only had to wait until the next morning for Annie’s conversation with Chris. (Spoiler alert: That episode exceeded even my very high expectations! I loved hearing the heart behind his life, decisions, music, and more. And of course the fact that his music has been such a huge part of my life over several years might have helped a little, too!)

So not only did the podcast I listened to that day bring encouragement for the moment, but it also gave me a strong motivation to get up early the next morning!

Taking a walk outside

This is helpful for so many reasons–Sunshine, fresh air, the beauty of nature, and exercise can all help lift our spirits and provide a bit of a mental reset. Having time for an afternoon walk in the park somehow makes everything feel better.

And of course sunsets are always my favorite!

Making a point to write things down

It’s amazing how much it helps to add the simple step of physically writing down even the smallest treasures that have been encouraging or bring gratitude to our hearts. Often I will just write a quick list on my phone so I don’t forget to make a record of how God has been working. I still don’t do this nearly as often as I should, but when I do, it really makes a difference, not just for that day but also for later when I will somehow find my way back to that note and remember how God provided for a difficult day. Then my heart can be stirred once again that He will provide what I need for today, too. So I continue to give thanks…

“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us–to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

~ Ephesians 3:20-21 (HCSB)

I’d love for you to join in the conversation, too! Is there a moment where you have felt God lift up your head recently? What helps bring encouragement when you are having a rough day? Is there someone you follow on social media who is always uplifting? How do you see God moving in your ordinary life? Or does it just feel like a struggle right now? Prayer requests are always welcome, too. Feel free to leave a comment here or send me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.