Stop And Smell the Roses

I do my thinking in the shower. Or late at night. Or both, as the case may be tonight. Those are the few, still, small moments when I'm undisturbed, alone, and free to just stand there and soak in the day. I came across this picture today during my online perusing, and I love it! I consider myself a right-brained person, so immediately I was drawn in by the colors, the details, and the flow, as I poured over every inch of the picture {zoomed in, of course}.

I love beauty in all shapes and forms: colors, details, smells, tastes, joy, inspiration, creativity... The list goes on. And if I love it, search for it, seek it out, and study it, how much more does God, the Creator Himself? I love that one of His names is Creator. THE Creator. The One after whom all others aspire to but never quite achieve His brilliance, majesty and design. We can only capture bits of what He's already created or do our best to replicate it.

Imagine Him painting the sunset across the evening sky. Waving a hand over the hillside to create a blooming field of poppy's. Guiding the tide in and out on a white sandy beach, all the while forming a myriad of tiny stones out of shells and glass. Forming the Grand Canyon, the Caribbean, and Mt. Everest. Knitting together, miniature piece by piece, a tiny human body in a mother's womb, knowing exactly how each and every part will function down to it's very last day on this earth. Putting a mind inside that tiny body that is made up of a billion different attributes, making that person as unique as a snowflake. One of a kind.

Have you stopped to enjoy the beauty of God's creation? It's so easy to get busy, stressed, and distracted and completely miss it. I'd encourage you, as the saying goes, to "stop and smell the roses." I think that's what God wants for us. Slow down and enjoy the beauty in your day. Get inspired. Find joy. Be renewed. Ask God what He wants from you on this day, and just do that. Let go of all the "ought to's," "should do's," expectations and constraints you've put on yourself and just be. Take a walk with a toddler. Sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. Really enjoy it. Listen to some great music and dance. Step outside, bask in the sunshine, and breathe in the fresh spring air. Find beauty and soak it in.

LIVE. Really live. Don't settle for just existing, going through the motions.

And seriously, STOP. And. Smell. The. Roses. Don't hurry on by today.