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It’s the Little Things...Even Buying a Fish

  For awhile I’ve been wanting something to take care of. My motherly instincts are beginning to seed and eventually bloom. My husband and I would love to get a cat or dog, but we live in an apartment. So, we opted for a Betta Fish. Yes, I know, not too exciting. But for us, it was like going to a candy store and picking out the most vibrant lollipop. 

We cheerfully made our way to PetSmart. We gleamed as we picked out the aquarium and other accessories. We couldn’t decide on the style of Betta Fish, so we wanted to see what Petco had to offer. We strolled into the pet store with our hearts open for a new scaly friend. Ah! An array of colors brightened our eyes with curiosity! Which one do we chose? Then, we finally saw the little feisty guy we would take home. He was a white and red Dragon Scale Betta. We looked at him first then others, but our heart nudged back to him. 

On the way home, we piddle-paddled with names. Are you laughing? Well, we giggled and gabbed. How about Arthur? How about Gandalf? Yes, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. It was as if we were picking out a name for a baby. We finally decided on Crimson, since he had red fins. In that moment I thought to myself, “It’s the little things that bring us joy.”

Yesterday, my husband and I watched Crimson swim around the auroral tank. His tiny personality was aglow as he swam underneath moss balls and over river rock. I then pondered, “God is in the midst of ordinary things.” God is such a powerful God. He formed the mountains and precisely scaled Bettas. When we look at the teensy treasure chests of life, we forget the magnitude of the gold that is submerged within. 

Find joy in the little things. Find joy in taking the first sip of your savory coffee. Take a walk at your local park. Feel the simplicity of the sun on your skin. Stop, and not only smell the roses, but touch their beauty. Find humor in naming a Betta Fish. 

It shouldn’t just be the mountainous moments that bring us joy, but also the dandy dandelions of everyday life. 

If God is our joy, then joy should be found in small boxes and hefty trunks of essence. 

It’s the little things...even buying a fish. 

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. - Psalm 16:11 

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