My response to the question whether I love my life, is a resounding “Yes, most definitely!”. Here are a few reasons why:
- Jesus is my best friend
- I have an abundance of friends and family who shower me with support and kindness
- My work is so enjoyable that it doesn’t feel like a job
- I get to travel to exciting destinations and meet even more (lovely) people
- My business has grown over the years and feels in line with my purpose
Looks a bit like a recipe doesn’t it? If you were to apply it to someone else’s life, it could be “5 clear-cut steps to love your life” and hey, presto, there you have it: Now you can love your life too!
But the world we live in does not work this way … Recipes or “5 easy steps” are misleading and, to be frank, dangerous. Let me explain what I mean using a banana muffin recipe.
The recipe is simple: 1 cup mashed bananas mixed with 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup vegetable oil. Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt till just mixed. Bake at 160 °C for 30 minutes in a well-greased muffin tin.
The recipe yields 12 muffins, but you can double the ingredients and then make a large loaf. Bake at the same temperature, but for 50-60 minutes. Leave the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes before taking it out and letting it cool.
Easy-peasy … But one day my muffins tasted soapy. I had added an extra teaspoon of baking soda by accident. On another occasion the bread tasted boring and bland, because I had forgotten to add double amounts of sugar, salt and vanilla. Small changes and tiny omissions to the recipe, but there was definitely less banana-love during those occasions.
Of course there were also times when I could not even attempt to make the muffins or a loaf because of more serious reasons like no flour in my pantry or load shedding. If one critically important factor is missing, my guests and I have no lovely carbs to enjoy with our coffee.
The same applies to our lives. If we have very specific things and people that inspire us to love being here on earth, we are in danger of losing our zest and joy at the drop of a hat. Will I still love my life if I feel betrayed by my faith or if my friends move away? How will I feel about waking up in the morning if I have to stop working due to a debilitating illness?
It will always be true that to love your life, you can try a few tested methods like living in the present, being grateful and connecting with people who share your values. You can also try to manage your mind-set, set goals and keep learning.
But to steadfastly have love for the life you lead, no matter what changes or falls away, you have to let go and let God inspire you with His eternal, everlasting love.
