Early Morning at the Park

     Arriving at the community park early in the morning is a quiet experience.  There are not many people up that early, but as I complete more and more laps, more and more people arrive.  It's an eclectic mix.  There's me, the middle-aged cancer survivor trying to build strength and lose some weight too.  There are the older ladies, who in all reality probably aren't that many years ahead of me.  There's the older man walking a little crooked in his baggy pants and clunky boots, his body obviously tired from many years of hard work.  There's a younger person getting ready for a busy day.  Everyone walks at their own pace.  Some a little slower than others.  Even the ladies who come in the same car split up.  The younger person usually runs.  As we pass, we say, "Good morning."  Sometimes there is a young mom (this morning it was a young dad) pushing her (his) little one in the swing.  The child's giggles of joy fill the air. 
     Usually I will listen to music as I walk, but this morning I heard the Lord as he prompted me...No ear buds.  Enjoy.  So, I left the music turned off in my pocket and walked.  Looking around, enjoying the creation, I found myself learning life lessons from the squirrels.  Look at this picture:

This little guy was chewing on the fence clamp.  Chewing and chewing and chewing.  Even as another lady and I stopped to watch, he didn't run away.  He stayed to continue his chewing.  As you can see, there were plenty of trees.  The were, in fact, plenty of other squirrels scampering and playing and hiding treats in the ground, but he was intent on chewing that metal fence clamp.  I walked past him at first but went back for the picture.  God was teaching me to be careful what I try to consume.  I want to be more aware of what stops me and grabs my attention.  I want to feast on the good stuff.  The delicious, aromatic, and colorful feast He sets in front of me.  I don't want to waste my time on stuff that isn't doing me any good.

     To me that metal clamp represents all the stuff that distracts us from living.  TV, gossip, jealousy, materialism, pettiness, anger, laziness...

     Still without earbuds, I continued to walk and listen to the sounds of nature.  I looked through the fence at the trees.  And I noticed this:

I don't know if you can see it well, but these are some beautiful flowers I had never seen before.  Actually it's a vine.  The flowers are bell shaped and quite unusual.  And then I thought about how many times I read God's word and something new just pops out.  Not because it's never been there before, but because I, at that moment, became aware of it.  There are so many truths and lessons in the Bible that we can't take them all in at one time.  Sometimes, like this vine, you realize that little beauty has been there all along and now that you've seen it, you get to enjoy it.



    When I pulled into the driveway I noticed that my lily is blooming.  It's so pretty and I enjoy it so much.  In our family we call it the Granny Lily because these were Granny's and we transplanted some of them when her house was sold.   

This flower reminds me of my heritage and the legacy I will leave.  It reminds me to continue, through the years, for the generations that follow, to bloom and share the life that God has created for me to live.  It teaches me of the joy that others see when they look at your life and mine and see you and me living out who God created us to be.  It reminds me that little smiles of joy will come over us when we open our eyes to really see the world around us.  

     I love getting up early to go walk.  The cool morning air is refreshing.  And coming home to that first cup of coffee is always something to look forward to.  Most of all, though, I get the thrill of experiencing God and enjoying his handiwork.  I encourage you today to stop what you routinely do and make yourself consciously aware of God at work around you.  Enjoy!