Slow Down & Look Around

Slipping on my zorries and slinging my bag over my shoulder, I headed out the door while the early morning air was still damp and cool on my skin. I had too much work to do to wait until 7:00 to get to school – I need an extra early start to the day. I stepped over the dog sleeping outside my door and started walking down the hill towards school.

During my morning runs, I usually run down this same street with my running buddies. While it is yet dark, we find ourselves pinching our noses to avoid the smell, leaping just out of harms way as growling dogs nip at our heels, and dodging the many hazards that they’ve left strewn in the street. But today, I’m not running. I have slowed down my usually brisk pace, intent on enjoying my walk. As I reach the bottom of the hill and continue on down the street, I start noticing things I’ve never taken the time to notice before. There was a tiny bird perched on the power line, chirping to its heart’s content. There was a beautiful yellow and black butterfly that brushed past me on its way up the hill. Looking up, I saw timid plumeria flowers with flecks of pink that were just opening up for the day; and up higher, the clouds were still ablaze as the sun had just made its appearance. Even one of the dogs that usually chase us down the street trotted over to me, wagging his tail, asking to play. It felt like a totally different street now that I had slowed down enough to look around and enjoy its beauty.

I think I learned an important principle this morning that can be transferred over into other areas of life – slow down and look around. So often I find myself racing through life, dodging the pitfalls, and trying to avoid the hazards, but if I were to just slow down a bit and look around, I think I’d be able to see so many more of the blessings that God is wishing to bestow upon me. It’s a fine line - a struggle - because when I am able to slow down, I feel like I should be doing more, working harder to further God’s work, and yet I feel like God wants us to enjoy life. I think it’s a matter of finding the balance between the two…….but for now, I’m content to slow down a little and look around, even though life still rushes on past me.