“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” — John 10:10

Recently, some friends and I were sitting around the table, laughing and sharing stories, when the conversation turned to tubing trips.

Two different women shared two different experiences… on what was essentially the same kind of trip.

One mom told us about taking her teenage daughter. As soon as they got into the water, they spotted a snake. And from that moment on, her daughter was completely stiff—like a board—sitting on top of the tube, refusing to let even the smallest part of her body touch the water. She didn’t relax. She didn’t enjoy it. She just endured the entire trip, bracing herself for what might happen.

Another mom shared about taking her girls. No snake this time… but the result wasn’t much different. The girls thought the whole trip was “dumb”. They were frustrated they couldn’t be on their phones, disengaged from the experience, and carried a bad attitude the entire time.

While the daughters had completely different reasons…they all had the same outcome:

They were in the water… but they didn’t enjoy the journey.

What stood out just as much, though, was the moms. Both genuinely loved the trip.

They talked about how peaceful it was…how much they enjoyed being on the river…how special it was just to spend that time with their daughters.

Same water. Same moment. Same opportunity.

Two different experiences—but the same.

At the time, it was just funny…but later, after the laughter faded, I found myself coming back to their stories. The more I thought about it, the more I realized… we’ve all been on both sides of that.

As moms, we understand what it’s like to plan something, look forward to it, and genuinely enjoy it—while watching our kids miss it completely.

And… as daughters, we’ve been there too. Rolling our eyes. Disengaged. Thinking something was pointless or inconvenient… not realizing what we were actually being given in that moment.

And somewhere in that realization, a comparison started to form.

So, this isn’t just a story about moms and daughters. It’s a glimpse into something deeper about us… and God.

Jesus reminds us that even imperfect parents know how to give good gifts to their children—and how much more our heavenly Father does (Matthew 7:11).

And it made me stop and wonder…How often is God offering us something good—something meaningful, even beautiful—and we respond more like the daughters than the moms?

Isn’t That So Much Like Us?

God offers us something real in our walk with Him.

Not just salvation at the end… but life with Him right now. A life marked by His presence, His peace, His steady hand guiding us through both the calm and the current.

And yet, it is entirely possible to be in that life… and not actually experience it.

Not because God is withholding anything…but because of how we’re showing up in it.

Sometimes It’s Fear

Like the daughter who saw the snake.

Her entire experience was shaped by what might happen next. Fear kept her rigid, guarded, unable to relax into what was actually happening around her.

And fear does the same thing to us. It narrows our focus. It tightens our grip. It keeps us from resting, even when God has already proven Himself faithful.

We believe God is in control…but we still live braced for impact.

Sometimes It’s Our Attitude

Like the girls who decided the trip was “dumb”.

Nothing about the river was lacking. The problem wasn’t the experience—it was their attitude toward it.

We’ve all been there. We walk through ordinary days—full of small blessings, quiet moments, and opportunities to see God—and dismiss them because they don’t feel exciting enough… meaningful enough… or worth our attention.

We don’t say it out loud, but our hearts say “This isn’t that great.”

Sometimes… We Simply Don’t Notice

Those moms were in the exact same place as their daughters… but they experienced something completely different.

Why? Because they were paying attention.

They weren’t bracing. They weren’t resisting. They weren’t distracted. They were present.

They recognized the gift of the moment—the beauty of the river, the stillness of the water, the time with their daughters—and they allowed themselves to enjoy it.

I can’t help but wonder how often God is doing something similar in our lives.

How often He is offering peace in the middle of our circumstances…presence in the middle of our busyness…and quiet moments of goodness that we miss because we’re too fearful, too distracted, or too disengaged to see them.

An Invitation

Don’t make today about changing your circumstances, instead, make it about changing your posture.

Loosening your grip just enough to trust Him.
Lifting your eyes long enough to notice Him.
Leaning in instead of pulling back.

Abundant life isn’t always found in big, dramatic moments.

More often, it’s found in the quiet current we’re already floating in… if we’re willing to experience it.

We don’t have to wait for a different season, a different situation, or a different set of circumstances to experience the life God has promised. Often, what we’re longing for isn’t somewhere out ahead of us—it’s already right here, unfolding in the middle of our everyday lives. The difference isn’t in what God is doing—it’s in whether we are aware of it, open to it, and willing to enter into it.

Your Heart Sister,
Mikki 💜

The difference between merely going through life and truly experiencing the life God offers is often found in the posture of our hearts.

Lord, thank You for the life You’ve given us—not just to get through, but to experience with You. Help us to recognize where fear is keeping us guarded or where distraction is keeping us disengaged. Teach us to rest in You, to be present in what You are doing, and to trust You enough to let go and enjoy the journey. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.