I have been restless all day. There is nothing specific going on. I am not bored – as a matter of fact there is so much to do I am having difficulty prioritizing. It is as if the effect of my clogged sinus cavities has moved into my head making it fuzzy and unfocused.
I need to find a market for a particular piece of writing I have finished. I begin to research and the voice of discouragement whispers, "This thing HAS no market." I move on to write some thoughts for a devotional I will be giving. The creative juices are refusing to flow, in fact, my creative processes have turned into a dust bowl. Sure, I could work on the taxes, if I wanted to send myself spiraling down into a massive depression. You get the drift and I'm sure you've had the same kind of day.
I tackle some projects, even though I am not feeling inspired. Lunch with my husband is a nice but all too short diversion. It's time to get back to the business of the day. Ah, finally the clock inches toward my manicure appointment. I gather up the library materials I want to return and head out the door. Both our cars are kept in the garage; both always have the keys in them. That is until today. I exit the car; shed my winter boots at the side door. enter the house and retrieve the keys. Once I have slipped back into my winter footwear, I make my way out of the garage and head toward my appointment.
When I arrive, I find a little yellow sticky note fluttering in the chilly February breeze and clinging to the salon door for all it is worth. A terse 3-word message is penciled on it, "back at 1:00pm." What? How can this be? I have a 12:30 p.m. appointment and no one is around. A quick cell phone call reveals that my stylist had my appointment noted for noon. She informs me that when I didn't show up she "took off." I am not pleased but what can I do? We reschedule for later in the week and I point my car toward the library.
They must be giving books away, the parking lot is packed, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally find a spot. Reaching toward the empty passenger side to grab my materials, I am chagrined to discover that the materials are not in the car – I have obviously left them at home. Oh joy, I have to go back home and get the library materials. My mood is getting a bit prickly. I am not pleased. My irritation is building up a head of steam. The posted 25mph speed limit is not helping to lighten my mood.
Arriving at home, I decide I will not take the time to pull into the garage and will just run into the house –well, as quick as you can run when you have to shed winter shoes first. The materials are located, my shoes are once again on my feet, and I make my way toward the car, mumbling under my breath. "This has been a wasted day!" I turn on the radio (J. Vernon McGee is expounding on something that I would normally want to hear but at the moment, I am simply not in the mood!). I fasten my seat belt, check the rear view mirror, and then glance quickly to my left and I am stunned.
At the end of the street, two houses away, a pair of lovely fawns are snacking on the evergreens in my neighbor's front lawn. It takes my mind a second to adjust to what I am seeing. One fawn lifts her head and looks at me as if to say, "Lady, are you going to start any trouble?" I am mesmerized and enchanted. I want so much to run into the house for my camera but the desire to keep the deer there as long as possible overrides my need for a photograph.
Suddenly I am awash in joy. How wonderful is God to allow me to live in a place like this where I can see deer in the front or back yard? What a gift to be surrounded by mountains and forests and to be able to go 5 minutes from the house to put our kayaks in the water. What wonders God has brought into my life with the incredible family I have, my terrific husband, the fellowship of believers, the gift of working for Him. I felt every muscle in my body begin to relax.
As if realizing that their work was done, both deer lifted their heads and turned toward the thick woodland that edges our cul de sac. As I watched the flash of the last white tail disappear into the trees it made me think about how mercurial our emotions are. I went from grump to grateful child of God in milliseconds. How merciful He is to take a moment to remind a grumpy unsettled woman how richly blessed she is!
Thank you Lord for pulling me out of cranky self-absorption and for blessing me with another wonder of Your world. I want to always be mindful of who You are and how greatly You work in my life.
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NLT)
I need to find a market for a particular piece of writing I have finished. I begin to research and the voice of discouragement whispers, "This thing HAS no market." I move on to write some thoughts for a devotional I will be giving. The creative juices are refusing to flow, in fact, my creative processes have turned into a dust bowl. Sure, I could work on the taxes, if I wanted to send myself spiraling down into a massive depression. You get the drift and I'm sure you've had the same kind of day.
I tackle some projects, even though I am not feeling inspired. Lunch with my husband is a nice but all too short diversion. It's time to get back to the business of the day. Ah, finally the clock inches toward my manicure appointment. I gather up the library materials I want to return and head out the door. Both our cars are kept in the garage; both always have the keys in them. That is until today. I exit the car; shed my winter boots at the side door. enter the house and retrieve the keys. Once I have slipped back into my winter footwear, I make my way out of the garage and head toward my appointment.
When I arrive, I find a little yellow sticky note fluttering in the chilly February breeze and clinging to the salon door for all it is worth. A terse 3-word message is penciled on it, "back at 1:00pm." What? How can this be? I have a 12:30 p.m. appointment and no one is around. A quick cell phone call reveals that my stylist had my appointment noted for noon. She informs me that when I didn't show up she "took off." I am not pleased but what can I do? We reschedule for later in the week and I point my car toward the library.
They must be giving books away, the parking lot is packed, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally find a spot. Reaching toward the empty passenger side to grab my materials, I am chagrined to discover that the materials are not in the car – I have obviously left them at home. Oh joy, I have to go back home and get the library materials. My mood is getting a bit prickly. I am not pleased. My irritation is building up a head of steam. The posted 25mph speed limit is not helping to lighten my mood.
Arriving at home, I decide I will not take the time to pull into the garage and will just run into the house –well, as quick as you can run when you have to shed winter shoes first. The materials are located, my shoes are once again on my feet, and I make my way toward the car, mumbling under my breath. "This has been a wasted day!" I turn on the radio (J. Vernon McGee is expounding on something that I would normally want to hear but at the moment, I am simply not in the mood!). I fasten my seat belt, check the rear view mirror, and then glance quickly to my left and I am stunned.
At the end of the street, two houses away, a pair of lovely fawns are snacking on the evergreens in my neighbor's front lawn. It takes my mind a second to adjust to what I am seeing. One fawn lifts her head and looks at me as if to say, "Lady, are you going to start any trouble?" I am mesmerized and enchanted. I want so much to run into the house for my camera but the desire to keep the deer there as long as possible overrides my need for a photograph.
Suddenly I am awash in joy. How wonderful is God to allow me to live in a place like this where I can see deer in the front or back yard? What a gift to be surrounded by mountains and forests and to be able to go 5 minutes from the house to put our kayaks in the water. What wonders God has brought into my life with the incredible family I have, my terrific husband, the fellowship of believers, the gift of working for Him. I felt every muscle in my body begin to relax.
As if realizing that their work was done, both deer lifted their heads and turned toward the thick woodland that edges our cul de sac. As I watched the flash of the last white tail disappear into the trees it made me think about how mercurial our emotions are. I went from grump to grateful child of God in milliseconds. How merciful He is to take a moment to remind a grumpy unsettled woman how richly blessed she is!
Thank you Lord for pulling me out of cranky self-absorption and for blessing me with another wonder of Your world. I want to always be mindful of who You are and how greatly You work in my life.
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NLT)
