I have a busy week this week and I am just getting out of bed and grabbing a coffee. My mind is filled with my yearly evaluation this morning, and as the week goes on a possible worship meeting and a circle of accompaniment with a candidate for ministry. I also have a funeral for a faith filled member of our church family as well as a coffee meeting with a friend who is starting the Affirming process in their congregation. As well I do have to start thinking about my sermon for next week. Or I could just go back to bed and pull the covers over my head. But to do that would be to deny myself a potential surprise to brighten my day.
This photo above is from my wife Sandy’s family’s farm. I was walking out back checking on some veggie gardens I had planted. I love this farm and on my way back to the main field I could not help but get lost in the tall hay inquiring of me if it was time to be cut. As I made my way through the waste high field of hay I came across this natural bouquet of wild flowers. I did not cut them…but dropped to my stomach to take this picture and then just lay there admiring what nature had formed.
I do not need to tell anyone we are living in too fast paced a world and we need to slow down and embrace those gifts that spring up in front of us. We need to lay down on out stomach and gaze at the gift and take a moment to slow our breathing in gratitude to the rhythm of the divine. My camera has been my companion this summer to make me slow down and listen and just embrace and breathe in gratitude. We might not expect it when it happens upon us…but let us not rush by it by savor it. And this morning to begin our week together we pray.
O Holy One,
Catch our eye this day
And help us take that moment to stop and see the beauty
Of a unique encounter in a friend, nature, a song, a child’s laughter,
a hand held, an embrace that lingers.
May we breathe in your goodness and breathe out a smile and
a sigh of delight. We ask this with open hearts. Amen!
