Looking around, nope, no one else here right now, SOOOO, guess it was me. I've turned into a cliche. I am part of the rat race, a sleep deprived, stressed, labrynth mouse that tackles each day with a To Do list. Sometimes, I just wish the world would slow down! But then, in reality, it's up to each of us to slow our own lives down and remember to jump off that hamster wheel every now and then.
Think I told you awhile back, that I love Christmas and all of the days leading up to it, all 364 of them, to be exact. Each year, it seems like there are fewer and fewer days in between and couple that with the fact that it's not even Halloween yet, but I am already in pre-Christmas tree furniture rearranging mode. My poor husband. He comes home and goes to sit down in a chair that is now 2 rooms away. I must really mess up his mantra when I continually rearrange things. He is very happy, though, that there are a few things in this house, that I couldn't move, no matter how determined I am, the stove, the sink and the bathroom fixtures! Give me a chance though, and I WILL FIGURE IT OUT, HONEY! Love you! Might be a good idea to look before you automatically walk in and sit down, you know, just in case....that chair isn't there.
Just when we get comfortable in our lives, change happens. None of us are safe from change, unless of course, we lock ourselves into a room, totally void of electronic stimulus, store bought anything and refuse to change our ways for anything, for anyone, for any reason. What a droll life that would be. Just imagine never seeing a beautiful God painted sunrise or sunset, or finding comical shapes in the clouds (like a Junior Mint...that one is from my son). Imagine a life without ever seeing another human being, a smile, the taste of chocolate or the sip of a fine wine as its virtues linger on your palette. What would it be like to never see life beyond the four windowless walls that surrounded you, to experience something new and wonderful, to bring joy to someone else, to shed a tear at sad news? What would it be like?
I don't think I want to ever be in that place and I don't imagine you would either.
As I sit here staring at the corner where the first of many Christmas trees will be placed (very, very soon, actually), I tell myself that first thing tomorrow, I need to get down on my hands and knees and clean those baseboards. Why stop there, let's wipe down the walls too, and how about the windows inside and out? OOO, I think I just totally planned my whole day tomorrow and none of it, absolutely none of it sounds appealing to me right now. Think I'll pull a Scarlett O'Hara and worry about it tomorrow. Fiddle dee dee.
That was only a sample of what we all do to over-plan, overload and stress out our lives. Granted, houses have to be cleaned, because I have yet to see one that takes care of itself, but without even considering the other things that I was scheduled to do tomorrow, I've added yet another complicated list of to-do's to an already busy day 24 hour period of my life. Some days, I wish there were 30 or 40 hours in a day, and it is exactly that kind of thinking that puts me, you, all of us in that "time flies when you're having fun" mode. Before you know it, your children are grown, your hair is gray and you're talking aching backs, creaking knees and forgetfulness. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, I remember now. Good grief! Honestly, is there ever really enough time to get it all done - everything we have to do, need to do, and more importantly, want to do?
Every day is made up of 1440 minutes. Our 1440 minutes are packed full of running here and there, rushing through meals, taking everything for granted. We forget the moments that are stuck in there that contain the little miracles. I have so very much to be thankful for and before I move one more piece of furniture, wash a window, clean the baseboards or put up a Christmas tree (it is still October, after all), maybe I need to slow things down a little and let those 525,600 minutes happen at a more normal pace. I want to enjoy the simple laughter of a precious baby. I want to soak in the beauty and the love that is all around me and not at a "time flying by" at a crazy, out of control pace. Think of all of the wonderful "moments" you are missing in those 525,600 minutes that seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. Maybe it's time we all just take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Do it again, and one more time. We miss so much, so many wonderful things when we fly through life and it seems like it is just a blur.
I don't think that God intended for us to move so quickly through life, that we ended up missing all the good stuff, the simple stuff, the common everyday miracle kind of stuff. Ever had someone tell you to take time to "stop and smell the roses"? People, it's time to do just that! Not just once in awhile, but every day. Take time to stop, take it all in, enjoy that sunrise, the beautiful sky, the simplicity of a drop of dew on a blade of grass. Maybe, take time to just watch the rise and fall of someone's chest as they lay sleeping next to you. That in itself is one major miracle. God designed our bodies to keep on, keepin' on, while we were sleeping. We don't even have to think about taking a breath. It just happens. That's so cool. And those grass seeds that a lot of you may have just planted, think about that one seed that gets sunlight, and water, and slowly, the coating on that seed breaks open and makes room for that single shoot to pop out its head and start to grow. Week one, it's just a tiny little thing, but in less than a month, that single shoot is 2 to 3 inches tall and is but one of millions that make a pretty grassy lawn just so you can run barefoot through it in the dew of the morning. Dewey grass running in slow motion....I think we all need to do it more often. Join me, won't you?
1320 minutes into my day and I have slowed down. I'm tired and at the end of my thoughts. My pillow is calling, so I will wrap it up here. Life just seems crazier and shorter each and every day. It really does fly by, and quickly! We can't help that sometimes, so do yourself a favor and teach yourself, your children to slow down and take a deep breath. Remember to take time to notice those countless miracles, the simple things that we tend to overlook in our fast paced lives. Measure up the simple stuff because it really is the important stuff. How do you measure? Think about it. Life really is too short and you shouldn't miss any of it. 525,600 minutes in a year....what do you do to measure yours?
Stop and smell the roses. Slow down. Measure your life in minutes, in moments, in breaths, in miracles and then tell HIM, thanks!
God bless each and everyone of you. Have a wonderful day tomorrow and each day after. Better yet, have a wonderful moment.....make those 1440 minutes tomorrow and every day, memorable, spiritual, breathless. Make them moments to cherish for a lifetime. Make them Life's Morsels. The good stuff, the seasons of love...
Kaye
