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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
Slow Down and Enjoy
November 10, 2005
When was the last time you ran through a field that was overgrown with
grass up to your knees? When was the last time you crawled through a
weeping willow and looked at it as an impenetrable fortress? When was the
last time you picked up a buttercup or watched a robin hop across the
lawn?
This afternoon I took advantage of the nice weather and took a walk. As I
made my way along the back roads where I live, all of these questions
popped into my mind. Anyone passing by would have thought I was nuts,
especially when I laughed out loud as I imagined myself running through
that field and falling over from exhaustion. I have to confess that as I
thought about these things, a tear came to my eye as well.
It dawned on me that in all of the "busy-ness" of life, I am missing some
of the best things. I remembered all the fun I had as a boy and how I was
in awe of the world around me. Somewhere along the way, I began
moving too fast to enjoy it. I am always flying from one thing to another,
one place to the next and I never see the birds or smell the buttercups
anymore. As I let myself be taken away by the sights and sounds around
me this afternoon, I suddenly realized that the world we live in is alive with
beauty and the sounds of life. I suddenly understood what Maria was
feeling when she went up to the mountaintop and began to sing, "The hills
are alive with the sound of music!"
The world looks quite different when you are walking, rather than driving.
I saw a vista that I had never seen before. I have lived in my neighborhood
for eleven years and driven up and down the roads hundreds of times, but
today, for the first time, I saw the real lay of the land. At one point, when I
stopped to look into the woods, I saw two eyes looking back at me. Then
a deer, no two deer, turned and ran the other way.
Someone once said that life is a journey, not a destination. It is not so
much where you are going, but what happens along the way that is
important. Maybe that is why the Psalmist encourages us to number our
days so we main get a heart of wisdom. We need to enjoy this day, for it is
one that God has made.
I believe God knew our tendency to rush through things and that is why
He made the Sabbath. He wanted each of us to take time each week to
pause and reflect upon Him and His creation and on our relationships with
each other. This 24-7 world that we live in is not good. It doesn't allow for
that rest, that break time, that "down time." I believe we are seeing the
results of this in all the destructive things that are happening around us
today.
So if you are feeling overwhelmed by the hectic pace of life or if you just
need to experience God's glorious Sabbath rest, then get outside and take a
walk before the snow comes. Then make it a point to go and worship Him
this weekend. You will be blessed.
God Bless - See you in Church
Cal
November 10, 2005
When was the last time you ran through a field that was overgrown with
grass up to your knees? When was the last time you crawled through a
weeping willow and looked at it as an impenetrable fortress? When was the
last time you picked up a buttercup or watched a robin hop across the
lawn?
This afternoon I took advantage of the nice weather and took a walk. As I
made my way along the back roads where I live, all of these questions
popped into my mind. Anyone passing by would have thought I was nuts,
especially when I laughed out loud as I imagined myself running through
that field and falling over from exhaustion. I have to confess that as I
thought about these things, a tear came to my eye as well.
It dawned on me that in all of the "busy-ness" of life, I am missing some
of the best things. I remembered all the fun I had as a boy and how I was
in awe of the world around me. Somewhere along the way, I began
moving too fast to enjoy it. I am always flying from one thing to another,
one place to the next and I never see the birds or smell the buttercups
anymore. As I let myself be taken away by the sights and sounds around
me this afternoon, I suddenly realized that the world we live in is alive with
beauty and the sounds of life. I suddenly understood what Maria was
feeling when she went up to the mountaintop and began to sing, "The hills
are alive with the sound of music!"
The world looks quite different when you are walking, rather than driving.
I saw a vista that I had never seen before. I have lived in my neighborhood
for eleven years and driven up and down the roads hundreds of times, but
today, for the first time, I saw the real lay of the land. At one point, when I
stopped to look into the woods, I saw two eyes looking back at me. Then
a deer, no two deer, turned and ran the other way.
Someone once said that life is a journey, not a destination. It is not so
much where you are going, but what happens along the way that is
important. Maybe that is why the Psalmist encourages us to number our
days so we main get a heart of wisdom. We need to enjoy this day, for it is
one that God has made.
I believe God knew our tendency to rush through things and that is why
He made the Sabbath. He wanted each of us to take time each week to
pause and reflect upon Him and His creation and on our relationships with
each other. This 24-7 world that we live in is not good. It doesn't allow for
that rest, that break time, that "down time." I believe we are seeing the
results of this in all the destructive things that are happening around us
today.
So if you are feeling overwhelmed by the hectic pace of life or if you just
need to experience God's glorious Sabbath rest, then get outside and take a
walk before the snow comes. Then make it a point to go and worship Him
this weekend. You will be blessed.
God Bless - See you in Church
Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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