It’s Friday night; the end of another hectic and challenging work week. The drive from the hospital to home is often not even long enough to listen to a full song on the radio, let alone begin to decompress. Quickly depositing my backpack and purse, kicking off shoes, and planting my weary body on the front porch is precisely what my weary heart and frazzled mind need.
It didn’t take long for me to find myself consumed by my surroundings. No spreadsheet to format. No email beckoned my reply. Not a single meeting to attend. This is glorious.
For a brief couple of minutes, I found myself contemplating the next blog topic; those are constantly floating between my ears. But almost as quickly, I found myself shaking off each of those ideas. They were worthy of my time and attention. And yet it seemed abundantly clear that God had other things in mind.
As I sat in the overwhelm, I found myself being intentional. The flower remnants are now feeding the finches. The hummingbirds are circling for their last dips from the feeders before seeking out warmer climates. Intricate cobwebs all over the porch are more pronounced than ever before; their detail is remarkable. What can I find beyond my porch?
A snake slithering through the warm, sunlit grass caught me by surprise. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve snapped a quick picture and sent to Karen (just for fun LOL). But I had purposefully left my phone behind in my attempt to fully be present with my surroundings, so the picture will wait for another day. A couple of robins were stirring up the landscape as they wove in and out of the trees, while the squirrels were engaging in a game of tag in the branches overhead. A random mouse would dart into a hole seeking refuge.
Although our chicken population has decreased with no plans to replenish, one of them can generally be found close by. Pecking at the abundance of bugs, ducking into a plot of wildflowers, being chased by one of the roosters, or possibly enjoying a sweet treat of watermelon. Any of those scenarios provides at least moderate entertainment for as long as one chooses.
Each of the leaves on the trees are in a different stage of change. Stopping to examine them as the sunlight filters through, I find myself contemplating how, although each tree has the same leaf, each one looks somewhat different: size, color shade, ripped by the wind, blemishes, etc. Yet when standing back on my porch, all of those were necessary to provide the image that drew me to them in the first place. God is pretty amazing.
Water trickling through the valley to the north can only be heard if you’re standing right beside it. It has carved a path somewhat different from when we first bought the property. I catch up with a few of the barn cats as they quietly survey the area. Willie was sharpening his claws at the base of a mulberry tree and Dolly was in pursuit of a chipmunk. Chet decided on a different route once I crested the hill. (Yes, the barn cats are otherwise known as country music legends.)
Honeybees are thankful for the goldenrod. By this time each year, their floral options aren’t as plentiful. Many perceive goldenrod as a weed. But like so many other things in life, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Do you want to see it or not?
Maybe it’s the symphony of sound created by birds chirping, leaves rustling, water cascading, or even ushering in a measure of silence. Maybe it’s the palette of colors found, which literally change depending on how the sunlight hits and where I’m standing. It could be the distinct smells that float in and out. A field being harvested or my feet shuffling through the mint, lavendar, oregano, or basil.
My heart is no longer weary and my mind is no longer frazzled. I’ve been in the presence of God. I’ve looked for Him and found Him everywhere in everything. The more time I spend with Him, the more time I want to spend with Him. My heart, soul, mind, and strength are immediately impacted in ways that otherwise can’t be found. His Word tells us that He’s the Creator of all things. Immerse yourself in the Word and spend time with Him. It changes everything!
Psalm 63:1 ~ O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.