The red tree
I'm reading this book
right now called Cold Tangerines. One chapter Shauna wrote talks about a month
if her life where she almost missed the beauty in each moment. She was so busy
with her to-do list and planning and making plans that she missed the simple
delights in life. She missed she changing of the season peeking through the
trees, and a tree in particular that had turned firey red and filled her with
all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings. And I realized my life is like that all the
time. And well, you'll see what I mean if you keep reading. Ironically, my
daily calendar that sits on my bedside table
and gives me small glimpses of godly truth has been talking about to-do
lists lately. In honor of this beautiful book, I'm going to draw my own
parallels from the beautifully crafted stories of Shauna Niequist.
City Street
I have a rapid-fire city
walk. I pride myself on it sometimes, my petite frame giving me the option to
quickly swerve in and out of crowds of people sometimes as gracefully as a
ballerina on a stage. And I say sometimes loosely. City streets can have
craters as big as the moon and, if you're not looking, can cause serious
damage. Yet I enjoy my fast pace. My stubby legs have a long stride compared to
my size. It gives me a sense of purpose and productivity. As if I'm not wasting
a moment getting to my precious destination. Then I remembered a quote I heard
a few years back. A quote about enjoying the journey of life and disconnecting
from the importance of the end point. I have my busy moments, and my moments of
being wonder-struck by Gods creativity and sheer magnificence. I know that my
schedule is chaotic compared to the average young woman my age, but you see,
I'm not average. I enjoy being busy. I find it restful, God has the ability to
fire me up when there's a lot going on in my life. But when I'm busy
calculating my week down to the minute, there's a problem. Not only with my
inflexibility, but with my desire to rush through my day putting as many check
marks on my list as possible. Almost like a race, except it's always the
underdog human versus time. Talk about adrenaline rush. But am I rushing too
quickly? Do I stop often enough to enjoy the small pleasures God built into
life? Not just for an Instagram picture or a self-gratifying tweet, but for an
honest, sincere appreciation for this breathtaking Creator who holds our hearts
above this world. That's where my heart needs to be. The next time I walk
through the city, on my way to work or to the beach, I think I'm gonna walk a
little slower. Slower than the average person. Slow not to prove a point, slow
to take in and experience this beautiful, urban wonderland and God, the
ultimate architect.
"Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10
