A few years ago, I read an article by Peter Scazzero. It was taken from his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. He spoke of the gift of slowing down.
I resonated with his words.
At my previous business, my daily commute was 35 miles one way. I would get in the car and begin driving to my business and would start to pray.
I’d be flying down the Tollway to get to my store. Construction, an accident, rain, etc. would slow traffic to a crawl. Instead of seeing an opportunity to spend more time connecting with God I would forgot I was praying and white knuckle the steering wheel.
Driving white knuckled to work; I didn’t notice the trees changing colors in the Fall. I didn’t see the family with the flat tire on the side of the road until it was too late to stop. Sadly, I was too rushed to be present with God. Peter Scazzero’s words are a great reminder to me to slow down.
One day while my wife was driving to her clinic she called me, very excited. She told me that she had spotted a bald eagle on her commute.
I had never seen an eagle (except at the zoo) so I grabbed my camera and got and drove to the spot where she saw the eagle. After searching and searching – I finally spotted the eagle. I felt like an excited kid!
The eagle was majestic and beautiful. I was in awe. Over the next two weeks I took the same route each day looking for the eagle. I saw the eagle three times.
After the excitement subsided, I was sad. How many times during the past three years, was the eagle visible to me and unfortunately, I was in too much of a hurry so I never noticed the eagle?
The gift of slowing down causes me to notice. It helps me be present. As I slow down, I have begun to notice God’s creation. I see the trees turning colors in the fall. I notice the eagle and am always on the look out for him. I notice the hawks sitting on the fence on the side of the road and the deer feeding in the farmers field.
I notice the tenderness and love in my wife’s face.
Every time I notice…. my heart is filled with awe and gratitude that God has allowed me to take pleasure in His creation. And I feel loved beyond measure by my Creator.
Try to slow down today and see what you notice about God and His creation.
