Young Girls and Neon Green Pencils

As with any one of us, I'm sure this world just beats you down after awhile.  I think part of that problem is I watch too much news. It would be great if the news was upbeat, and there are a FEW upbeat stories they share, but for the most part, the media just tells about all the bad stuff happening in our world.  If you let that stuff fill your head, after awhile, you don't think there's anything positive, and it really affects your thinking.  We watch too much TV and/or spend entirely too much time online.  What if we just shut everything off and listen to God for a change? We don't hear His voice because we constantly shut Him out with all of our noise. I'm just as guilty as the next person. People can't figure out why I love Belize so much...I'll tell you why. It's because there is no noise there. My cell phone only has internet where we stay, but when we are out in the field, I can't use it at all other than to take pictures, and I LOVE that.  I am not able to see TV the entire time I'm gone either, and that is beyond fabulous.  I actually HEAR God in Belize and that is because I am forced to slow down.  This, THIS is why I LOVE Belize, and why I would love to live there. To get back to simplicity that we have thrown away here. We used to have simplicity in this country when we spent our time outdoors and visited with our neighbors and friends. We engaged in real face to face conversation that didn't occur through text messages and email. We weren't in such a hurry or had schedules to keep. I don't know how people with kids do it now days, there is ALWAYS something they are involved in.  If I had kids, that would just make me nuts, and maybe that's why I'm not meant to be a mom.  Because my kids would hate me for making them stay home. ha! I've always been introverted, so I loved staying home when I was a kid, and I still love staying home and not being around people. I live for the days that I have nothing to do, no one to see, and nowhere to go because I can take that time and use it to worship God. I know people probably think I'm nuts and over the top the way I carry on about God or see Him everywhere.  And that's ok if people think that because there's nothing that I'm more passionate about than my relationship with Him. There are times in my life when I'm not close to God, I think we all go through that, but then there are times when He is right by me. He shows me things that I sometimes might overlook when I'm not close to Him.  Today was one of those days where He was right there...in my face. I turned off the noise, and I heard Him and saw Him. I had to pick up my contacts at the eye dr., and when I pulled in the parking lot, I see 2 young girls and a woman walking in front of my car.  As I waited for them to cross in front of me, I couldn't help but notice the young girl who was white as a ghost with no hair.  I wouldn't say I felt sorry for her for being sick, but it just put things in perspective for me when I saw her. I can get so bogged down on the trivial things in life that I forget to thank God for all the blessings in my life.  I think I have problems, problems that no one understands, but when I saw this young girl today, I realize I have no problems.  As she was walking with her friend or sister (not sure which it was), she was laughing and jumping and smiling....just filled with so much joy.  I thought to myself, "If this young girl who has probably been going through chemo treatments can be filled with so much joy, then what do I have to be down and out about?"  I've never had cancer, I've never had an illness that couldn't be healed. Even with my eyes being messed up for months, they healed, and I can see again.  Why can't I just be more grateful for the blessings in my life? The problems that I don't have?  Focus on the things I do have, instead of the things I want or don't have.  I needed that young girl to touch my heart today, and she did just that.  And another side note to this story that I feel is a God thing, when I came out of the eye dr. after getting my contacts, I saw a neon green, unsharpened pencil on the ground. It was lying on the ground in the parking space of the car that this young girl got into.  I saw the pencil lying there, and I almost left it, but as I walked by it, I turned around and picked it up. It was from a dentist's office that is located in the same building as my eye dr.  I'm sure one of those kids or both had an appointment there today, and that's where they were coming out from when I saw them.  I kept that pencil. I have no way of sharpening it, but that's ok.  I plan to keep that pencil in my car and look at it every time I get in to drive somewhere. That pencil will serve as a reminder to me of that young lady I saw today, and it will serve as a reminder to me to be thankful for my life and all of the blessings the Lord has given to me. I know most people would think it was just a fluke that that pencil was lying there on the ground, but not me. I'm pretty sure God wanted me to have that pencil as a reminder to me...a reminder to be grateful.  That young lady touched my life today, and she doesn't have a clue. But I know my God knows the impact she left on me, and that, my friends, is the only One who matters. I'm thankful God slowed me down today and let me see Him through that young lady. Oh to turn off the noise. It is amazing what you will see in the quietness.   Let's all try to be more grateful. God has blessed us all with so much.  Have a blessed week!