Today, Rog and I took a time-out. We grabbed a sub from Scheetz and headed to
Grandview, an area national park.
Although we are out there quite often, especially with our guys from the
ranch hiking trails, it has been years since it has just been the two of us to
walk them together. I commented while we
ate, that as much as I love the beach, my beach in particular I call it, the
Outer Banks of North Carolina, and as much as I miss it and think about it, I
feel privileged to live here in West Virginia.
It’s a beautiful place year-round that God has allowed us to call home
for these nearly twenty years now.
Did I just say twenty years?
Most definitely. Just one span of
life events that have brought us to where we are today. Days are so full, but I think we’ve learned,
and continue to learn ways to pace ourselves and keep life in perspective.
While strolling through a bargain outlet just yesterday, I picked up a little
book on stress of all things! One of its
many insightful thoughts follows.
“Enjoy
the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big
things1.”
I find myself doing this a lot, especially on days like
today when I can walk a trail with my hubby.
I don’t take that time for granted.
Moments like that are already a “big thing”, not something I’ll just
look back on and remember how precious they were. Here are a few of my “big things” just this
week:
enjoying
the smell of puppy breath from our new Aussie pup Tilly and hearing the squeals
from the grandchildren as they play together;
watching
a sci-fi with Roger, Jordan, and a couple of our ranch guys that made me shriek
and cover my eyes! (who wants to see someone eaten by a giant
mole-rat!);
being
startled, then awed as a deer crossed our path on our hike then stopped just feet away as if to give us a chance to just
enjoy his graceful beauty;
driving
a winding country road with the windows down and the music up, eating ice cream
and singing along to a favorite
song.
Yet, I’ve had occasion to worry and fret. What I didn’t mention was that also this week
my son began his rigorous testing in preparation to give one of his kidneys to
his son awaiting transplant. My phone
rang at 6:15 this morning. Our oldest
son was on the way to the hospital with his wife who is expecting their fourth
child…she’s not due until October. Our
air conditioner went out and we were told today it would have to be replaced…at
an estimated cost of around $3600.00.
I’ve spent time on the phone, and at the police station as a victim of
credit card fraud, making sure that I don’t continue to be used to fund someone
else’s vacation, shopping spree, new car!!
(Yes, application was made for a $12,000 draw against Capitol One Visa
for a used car!) I’ve had Jordan at the doctor again, as I have repeatedly over
the last month, this time for a ct scan, trying to determine the source of her
health issue. So, more time spent on the
phone and visiting the doctor’s offices, both her regular doctor and now a
specialist, the express clinic, the hospital, the diagnostic testing center,
etc…only to wait for follow-up or more testing.
I continue to seek God for wisdom and patience in dealing
with one of the most challenging groups of boys we’ve been blessed to minister
to at the ranch, from their explosive anger to their disheartening apathy.
Whether it’s chaos or concern, my heart immediately goes to
prayer. I pray because calm is not
always my immediate reaction. A
confident rest in the knowledge that God is always in control is not always my
immediate reaction. As I lift the moment
to God, I fret only a moment rather than hours or days, and that is a great
victory for me. I may have to take it (whatever
it
happens to be at the time) to Him over and over again as the power of human
emotion settles over me and tries to fuel anxiety. But that’s okay. God meets me in my moment every time.
Just a walk in the park? No, for me it was a great deal
more. And it came just in time, since
we arrived home only to find that the dishwasher had died!
“…take your cares outdoors, breathe deeply of the fresh air,
walk among tall trees, and lift your eyes upward. You will quickly realize that no matter what
obstacles you are facing, you and your worries are only a small part of the
greater universe designed by our Creator2.”
Do you need a time-out?
1Robert Brault; from Stress Less and Enjoy Each Day, David Zerfoss
2David Zerfoss; Stress Less and Enjoy Each Day
