Savoring Instead of Saving

I watched our little one stand at the window and cheer as the FedEx truck pulled in to deliver a package. She knew it was her Easter dress – the one she chose on her own (and fortunately for us, the one that only cost $9). Out of the package came new sandals, a pair of pink tights with sparkly butterflies, a white sweater, and finally – her dress.

Pink. Sparkly. A dress fit for a princess – which we discovered to be true when we realized she matched the life-size Barbie at the local bulk grocery store. I immediately hung it up in her closet to keep it nice until Easter.

But when she asked me this past weekend if she could wear it to church? At first I said “no” – I didn’t want the dress to be ruined or the tights to be snagged. I thought I could compromise and offer the shoes instead of the whole outfit – but it wasn’t what she had in mind. And I realized that there was no reason I could really come up with to keep her from wearing a dress she was so preciously excited about showing everyone.

I thought that savoring it meant keeping it safe and tucked away until the perfect moment, but really? Savoring this time meant saying “yes” and enjoying it – even if it means she wears it this weekend, next weekend, and the weekend after that. For my toddler, saving something special seemed silly when it was something that was meant to be enjoyed.

I wondered how often I confuse savoring with saving and miss out on the joy of enjoying what God has given me? Why do I keep the blog post or the craft idea or the activity or the project I want to do hidden away until the timing is perfect instead of embracing the idea of doing it when I’m most passionate about it?

I said “yes” to her Easter dress on a pre-Easter weekend and do you know what happened? She shined. She treated her entire outfit with care and smiled from ear-to-ear when someone mentioned how beautiful she looked. She twirled and skipped and felt like a princess. And next weekend when she wants to wear it again? And on Easter? I have no doubt that she’ll have plenty of twirls and smiles left to share because that pink sparkly $9 dress brings her joy.

I don’t want to worry that I’ll run out of twirls and joy if I share the words now rather than save them for a special occasion. I want to trust that whatever I pour out faithfully and with a joyful heart, God will replenish with something new – and maybe even better – the next time. I want to wear sparkles on ordinary Mondays and drink coffee out of the fancy mug and paint my nail bright pink simply because it makes me smile.

What will you do this week to savor a moment God has given you, instead of saving it away for the “perfect” time?