Indulge

Indulge

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

WALKING BRISKLY INTO HOME DEPOT, I was on a mission to get in and get out and on with my errand list until my eyes snagged on the display of tulip bulbs ready for planting this fall. My footsteps slowed as I struggled internally with whether to stay on task or allow myself to detour—for just a moment—to the bulbs.

Giving up, I detoured, examining varieties and vibrant color combinations, spending a few indulgent moments lost in thought imagining what my front flower bed might look like if I planted it with shades of orange tulips this spring instead of purples. Giving in, I picked up two bags of bulbs and continued on my original mission, already planning when and where I’d plant them.

Midwinter in the Midwest is the low point in the year climate-wise, at least for me. Because I know how long those days tend to feel, I plan for them, beginning in the fall. I plant tulips in October so that I can have the earliest possible color along my front walk, and I stash a small bag of hyacinth bulbs in my garage fridge so I can force them on my windowsill in January. These small, green luxuries keep my spirits up when winter feels long and have proven themselves good for me emotionally, spiritually, and even physically.

Indulging need not be decadent or prohibitively expensive. I have friends who love a fancy candle, a luxurious bath, or a nibble from their favorite dark chocolate hidden on the top shelf in the linen closet. It’s finding small, joyful things and stashing them away for moments when we need an indulgence, something lovely and true and pure to wash away the ugly of this world. God is the Master Creator—the author of all recipes, the original gardener, the first to use color in breathtaking ways, the establisher of the Sabbath—and he invites us to spend time resting, creating, enjoying the best his creation has to offer.

Lord, thank you for the gift of indulgences. Help us embrace them as they were meant to be: an opportunity to refresh and recharge. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Indulge yourself in a favorite way today.