It’s the little things in life. Or, so I’ve heard.

Truly, in my 21 (and a half!) years of acquiring wisdom, nothing clearer has been made known to me. It all started with a blank journal. No lines, no pretty cover. The little thing wasn’t exactly eye-catching, but that blandness served a purpose. We were to make this journal what we wanted it to be. One of my introspective friends, knowing me well, thought I might like to join in her church’s tradition of gratitude journals. I accepted the invitation. For a long while (like, years), I kept the outside blank because I didn’t know how I wanted it to look. I wrote in it sparingly, only highlighting the biggest moments of gratefulness I was having. As I continued to grow, there were seasons when this journal was shoved in the back of my dresser drawer.

Fast forward a few years (four, to be exact). I was sitting on the front lawn with some new friends. We were eating cherries and grapes, lying in the afternoon sun, knowing the next day everything would change. Moving day. As we were plucking dandelions and making flower crowns, my sister came across a four-leaf clover. I hadn’t ever found one before, so it was cool to hold something that was “one in a million.” I searched for the rest of the afternoon, and to my luck, I found one. Together, our luck multiplied to five in five million!  

Savoring that moment was when I truly learned how to use my gratitude journal. It was that little moment that sparked love, laughs, and memories—an irreplaceable camaraderie in our relationship. I dried one of my clovers and pasted it in my journal, a small reminder of God’s steadfast love to me. One that shows me that God provides people and love and hugs through people and circumstances we might never expect. At the time, I didn’t know what that night meant, but I knew it was special. I took all of those things and pondered them in my heart. I didn’t want to forget.

Now, I fill my journal with small bits of thankfulness that warm my heart. One page just says, “Cheerios are gluten free!!!” Other pages are filled with words capturing special moments, like a hug received at just the right time. Lighthearted or heavy, I seek clovers in my everyday life. God is faithful to continue to show me in little ways and big ways that he loves me. I don’t want to miss them. They are glimpses of the complete contentment we will find in him when we reach our eternal home.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known,” 1 Corinthians 13:12.

Don’t look too hard, but be mindful of the moment. Beauty can be found in the strangest of places. I hope you find a clover today. If you do, hold onto it and cherish it. Relish in the love that our Lord has for you.