Stop and... Look at the Leaves
Have you ever heard the saying, “Stop and smell the roses”? Well I tried that. And I found that a lot of the flowers I stopped to smell didn’t actually have a scent. No, really. The person who wrote that must have literally meant the roses. And since there aren’t a lot of roses popping up all over Oklahoma, I decided I would change it to, “Stop and look at the leaves!”
Ok, so it doesn’t sound quite as poetic, but we have a lot of trees here.
And my very favorite time of year is when they change colors in the fall.
I’m mesmerized by the burnt orange, gold, and burgundy foliage that begin to appear over my head, as I’m driving down the road.
Summer is great, but fall…fall is my FAVORITE!
Sometimes life can get busy. To the point that it becomes kind of a blur, going from project to project, event to event, season to season.
But lately, God has been teaching me to stop and look at the leaves. There is a word in the Psalms you’ll see a lot when you read through it.
Selah.
It means to pause and think of that, or to stop and listen.
When was the last time you just stopped to pause and reflect, or stopped all the noise bombarding you and just listened?
So often when you ask people how they are, they respond with, “So busy!”, like it’s a badge of honor or something. The more busy the more important. The more busy the more significant.
But busy doesn’t equal productive.
Busy doesn’t equal important.
Busy doesn’t equal happy.
Busy is…well…just busy.
I got in that cycle for a while. So busy that I couldn’t enjoy my family or my friends or my free time. I always had something to do, some place to be. And that’s when God had to teach me to stop and look at the trees.
To stop and look at the beauty around me, reflect on His goodness, count my blessings, and just slow my life down!
The world can wait.
Work can wait.
But the beauty on the trees can’t. It will be here today and gone tomorrow.
Selah.
Life isn’t just about doing. Sometimes it is about simply being. Being present. Being thankful. Being available. Being you.
So, when I see a big beautiful tree full of fall leaves now, I stop for a moment and enjoy the season. I enjoy the moment.
And sometimes, when I’m really in the moment, I stop and crunch the leaves under my feet. Yes, I really do. I believe you are never too old too crunch leaves. There’s nothing like it. Do it. I dare you. I guarantee it will put a smile on your face.
Don’t let the seasons you are in pass you by. Life isn’t as busy as we sometimes make it out to be, and sometimes taking time to enjoy the season we’re in, allows us to find a better pace of life.
What has helped you to stop and enjoy the moment?