Thursday Ramblings...

I love to spend time in nature. It’s always one of the places I feel closet to God.  I have always loved the outdoors, and spending time alone in them is Heaven to me. Even when I was a kid, you would never find me sitting inside on a summer day. I was out the door from sun up until sun down.   Even now, I can’t stand being cooped up inside all day when the weather is so perfect outside.  I think that’s why I can’t stand sitting in an office. It is so hard for someone like me who wrestles with a wandering mind and can’t sit still to be sitting in a cubicle all day.  I’ve got to find something outside to do, something that makes me feel free and close to my Maker. That’s why I LOVE traveling…I’m never  “stuck” in one place all the time.  I think I have ADD...but I digress.  I’m pet sitting this week at a house that’s away from the city…it’s surrounded by trees and woods. All the things that an outdoorsy person loves.  I decided to take a little walk today and just spend some time conversing with God in His creation.  Sometimes, I’m so easily distracted by my “gadgets” that I forget to just slow down, turn them off, get outside, and be one with God.  Today was the day to do just that as the weather could not be more perfect. Is it really July?  I don’t recall too many times in July where the weather has felt this great!  It’s so easy to be surrounded by God’s creation every single day and not even notice it.  How many times do I do this?  A lot, but I find when I finally stop and think about ALL of the things He created for us, it really takes my breath away.  Even as I was walking today and some kind of little varmits were swarming me and well…driving me nuts, to be honest, I still was trying to find some thankfulness in those moments while swatting at them.   Of course, I kinda had to laugh as I felt like it was just another tactic of Satan to try and keep me from conversing with my God while walking along.  He does all he can to distract us, doesn’t he? The greatest thing I’ve found in working for myself is being able to slow down and enjoy life.  I was never able to do that much working in the “real world”.  I wonder if we really live life the way God intended?  We rush, rush, rush through life and next thing you know, you’re old, retiring, and getting ready to die. I’m not trying to be morbid, but isn’t that how we live life?  What if we took time to just live and take in God every moment we’re awake instead of worrying about that next deadline or business meeting?  What if we just slowed down? Why are we in such a hurry in today’s world? That's one of the biggest reasons I LOVED Belize. No one was in a hurry. It was incredible!  Jesus spent time with people and His Father while He walked on this earth. I don’t know how many of us do that today because we don't seem to have time to spend with people or really get to know them on a deep level. I know I sure don’t do it the way I should because something is always distracting me, or I‘ve got 50,000 things to do. You know exactly what I'm talking about, especially those of you with kids.  When did kids get to be so busy?  It's the best part of their life and they're missing out on so many fun things that we experienced as kids.  Satan loves to keep us “busy” so we don’t spend time with God, and in our world today, he’s doing an awfully good job.  I don’t know about you, but I need and crave moments of serenity.  Moments when I’m alone. Moments when I can get back to nature and remember whose child I am, and to be THANKFUL for all my blessings.  For it is in the moments of my distraction, the moments I stop spending time with my God…those are the moment when the Enemy sneaks in and takes my focus off where it should be.  So what about you? Where or how do you see God? Where do you need to slow down in your life to be able to spend more one on one time with Him?  We all have different places or things that help us “see” God,  how about spending some time with Him today?  And as you step outside today, take notice of HIS creation, not the skyscrapers and man-made things, but HIS creation.  If you really stop and think that He made all of this for you, it’s pretty mind blowing. And now...I must get back to nature and this perfect day. :-)  God Bless!