The Flame Within

“Don’t Let a Hard Day Steal a Beautiful One”

I found myself sitting outside today after a long day of work.
The wind was gently blowing, just enough of a chill to feel refreshing… and for a moment, everything slowed.

It had been one of those days.
You know the kind.

The kind where nothing seems to go your way.
Where every stop feels a little off.
People feel a little more frustrating than usual.
Traffic feels heavier.
Noise feels louder.
And even the small things that were supposed to be a break… somehow aren’t.

I went to get my nails done, hoping for a little quiet time—only for it to be less than relaxing, with someone next to me complaining the entire time.
Then I went to grab a coffee… another place that just didn’t feel peaceful.
All I really wanted was a few minutes of quiet while waiting for my car to get brake pads replaced.

And yet—here I was.
Sitting outside.
Feeling the breeze.

As I sat there, I had this quiet realization:
these small frustrations throughout the day… they try to steal something.

Not just our mood.
But our awareness of the beauty and presence of God in the middle of ordinary life.

Because even in a frustrating day…
there was the gentle wind.
The blooming trees.
The kind man at the pizza place who gave me a free drink when I offered to buy one—just so I could sit outside and rest for a moment.

It reminded me how easy it is to get caught up in the stress of the hour, the day, the week…
and completely miss what is actually good.

And the truth is—
it’s the simple things that matter most.

As I’ve gotten older, raising three adult children and one still at home, I’ve realized something I didn’t fully understand before…

It’s not the big vacations or the expensive gifts I miss the most.

It’s the small moments.

Sitting in the living room while the kids played.
Watching them interact.
Pizza nights on Fridays.
Sharing a drink together.
The laughter.
Even the hard family meetings where we worked through big feelings.

And the conversations…
the ones I had with my mom and my grandmother—
the ones I didn’t realize I would one day long for.

Those were the moments.
The ones I took for granted.

Today reminded me:
life is not made up of the big highlights alone…
it’s built in the quiet, ordinary, sacred moments we almost overlook.

And sometimes, all it takes is a gentle breeze to remind us—
God is still here.
Right in the middle of it all.

⸻

Reflection

• What were the simple joys in your day today that you may have overlooked?
• Where did frustration try to steal your peace—and what good was still present?
• What might shift if you slowed down long enough to notice?

⸻

Scripture

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
— Philippians 4:8

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
— Psalm 19:1

Blessings, Crystal Ridlon, LPC