Slowing down to marvel

     Hurley and I took a walk on the trails through Palmetto Islands County Park, enjoying the hint of fall in the air. As usual, we had different rhythms. I would prefer to power walk, getting the best workout possible in the least amount of time. Hurley would prefer to sniff every inch of our surroundings. 

     Not long after I adopted Hurley, I got a great book called Bonding With Your Dog by Victoria Schade. One of the author's suggestions was a compromise, a sort of game on walks, allowing both dog and human to enjoy it. Hurley knows the routine by now. He walks ahead of me and gets his sniffs in until I catch up and pass him, then runs ahead again. If something really interesting catches his nose, he pulls at the leash behind me a bit and I pause. "1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . Let's go!" Then we move on. Hurley knows the game so well now that I rarely ever have to finish counting before he starts moving.

       It's good for both of us, and causes me to slow down and notice things, too. If we hadn't been motionless on the trail for a few seconds, this little fiddler crab wouldn't have come out of his hole! 

     How much do we miss when we don't allow ourselves to pause and count to three sometimes?

SS

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A Message from our Sponsor

     I love how I get a “word” from the Lord from the oddest of places. One of my favorite places is through a church just down the road from my house. I can tell I’d like the pastor or layperson who keeps up the church’s sign. It always has a pithy saying that doesn’t seem to preach or come off as righteous as do other church signs I see.

     One of the latest sayings: “We are too old when we lose our marvels.”

     You have to love that. My boys laugh at me sometimes when we’re out hiking a trail. I get unduly excited when I see a flower, such as my recent “find” pictured above, or a view I’ve never experienced before. They humor me for this juvenile behavior. To me, though, it’s like being touched by the Divine.

DB

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     I open the door to to the back porch, balancing my morning coffee and notebook.  The air is so suddenly cool, it catches me off guard.   After weeks of smothering summer heat and humidity, this fresh, clear morning is a welcome relief.  I breathe in deeply, with an immense sigh of gratitude.

       As I sip my coffee, I think of the word ruah. This Hebrew word essentially means wind, air, the very breath of God in creation.   Ruah creates, inspires and brings order out of chaos.   Ruah is the mighty wind that roars over the waters but ruah is also the gentle breeze on the porch that brings comfort and relief.

     I feel the breath of God on my face, renewing my life.  I linger on the porch, resting in ruah.

AF