The Desire of My Heart

Long ago, I was sitting on the sofa surrounded by miniature versions of myself when I had a revelation. I know it’s silly, but, in my early twenties I thought the “desires of my heart” were to have a successful career, to be self-sufficient, and to be able to direct my own destiny. What I discovered that day, as I looked at the faces of my children gathered around me reading picture book after picture book, day after day, was that they were my delight—and being with them was the desire of my heart. Motherhood, with all the glamour, big paychecks, and public accolades (who am I kidding?) had become the deepest desire of my heart, not my career.

I was filled with DELIGHT! In that moment I realized something profound: the Lord had already given me the desires of my heart… before I even understood what they were.

That realization quietly reshaped the direction of my life. It changed how I saw motherhood, our home, and even our homeschool days.

This has many practical applications in the life of the homeschooling mom. Delight is equal parts gratitude and wonder. It turns the ordinary and mundane into worship and time spent on holy ground. Instead of longingly looking outside my four walls for the fulfillment of my dreams, I have the opportunity to pour my delight into the precious gifts gathered around my table.

I used to dread cooking. I didn’t arrive in motherhood well-prepared. I could whip up a box of powdered mashed potatoes and call it a meal. (True story – I even microwaved a turkey once… to impress my soon-to-be-husband!) But when I chose to trade my dread of cooking for the delight of preparing fun, healthy, creative meals for my family, the Lord began changing me from the inside and gave me the desire I had lacked before.

Maybe we need to apply this “delight principle” to more areas of our lives. Do we really delight in our children? How about our husbands? Can we delight in our homes, our friendships, even our finances? The perspective from which we see all of these “desires of our hearts” really does have an effect on us and those around us.

So, how do I “delight in the Lord”? I find myself praying to have new “eyes to see” all the touches of His hand around me every day and turning them into prayers of gratitude. Laundry… means I have clothing (and an abundance of it!) Cleaning… means I have a home, and a beautiful one to boot! Teaching… means the Lord has given me a meaningful and important work to do, (and a second, or third, or fourth… chance to finally master Algebra!) Dishes are a reminder of meals gathered together, and of God’s gracious provision of all we need. And on and on. Delighting is an intentional choice you make.

It also means slowing down and truly savoring these precious moments with the children that the Lord has given us. Children grow up so very fast (I know everyone says it… It’s because it’s true!). You will only have those sweet, chubby little hands for a short time. So slow down and enjoy the feel of your toddler’s chubby little hand in yours as you take a walk together. Find the wonder in those elementary years and every stage beyond. Get down on their level and try to see the world like they do. Remember, it’s all fresh, new, wonderful and filled with delight at every turn!

Enjoy the school years spent together and the discoveries you make while homeschooling… You get another chance to learn alongside of your children. What a gift to explore God’s world together! I frequently have said that homeschooling my children was more for my own education than theirs. Embrace the freedom to let the Lord direct your desires … you can choose to follow a set path but there are many delights to discover as you blaze your own trail!

Embrace those late night conversations with your night-owlish teenagers. Brew the cups of hot chocolate and the coffee (make mine a double espresso, please), pull out the snacks and really listen to them tell you how they see the world. Be their biggest cheerleader as they take those first solo flights into God’s adventures for them. Delight that you have been given the opportunity to shape these hearts and minds—and catch a glimpse of the world through their eyes. Never stop delighting!

Explore outside; seriously, when was the last time you simply sat down on the grass, or laid on your back and looked up into the sky and really noticed the wonder of what is going on around you? How could you not be filled with gratitude to the Creator that carefully orchestrated all of this…just for you? Look at the flowers, take long walks and see the stars. Feel the breeze. Listen to the birds. Hear the crickets and frogs. These are gifts from your Lord for you and your family to find delight in!

Energize with time in the Word every day. Keep getting to know this God you follow deeper and deeper. When you take time each day to meet with God, you’ll delight even more in Him. I know it by experience! You’ll feel awakened again to the beauty of His desires for you and experience this much more deeply. You’ll have new eyes to see the wonders around you.

We grow in delight as we focus on gratitude and wonder—and we become more delightful people. The more I learn to walk in His ways, the more I realize we were created to be this way. Our delight brings joy to those around us as well and turns ordinary moments into opportunities to show God’s desires to our spouses, our children, our friends and others!

Over the years I have learned that delight is a choice.
A choice to notice the goodness of God in the ordinary moments of our days. As I chose to delight in the Lord, something unexpected happened.

The life I once thought I was giving up… became the life I would never trade.

I was raising my children.

And all along, the Lord was remaking me.

“Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

What a profound promise from God Himself to us!

Blessings,

Renita