This weekend my mom came over to find a baby cardinal popping its head out of the nest in her tree. My mom enjoyed eating cherry tomatoes and snap peas from our garden. She got so excited to see all the flowers in full bloom. Every time my mom sees and experiences God in nature, she’s like a kid experiencing her fresh God. Brand new. Full of joy.
The next morning, I went outside and all the flowers were gone. The deer had quite a feast. The night before the deer feast, I noticed how excited we were when we stopped on our walk behind the high school. A deer was within 20 feet of us. It was feasting on the Hostas. We stood there for 20 minutes just looking at each other. It was so tame, even when Camper barked at it. I was in awe of how beautiful, graceful, fearless, and enchanting the deer was. The deer kept popping its head up while it munched down all the flowers and leaves. I thought it was pretty funny until it happened to me.
As we have ventured out on our nightly walks with Camper, we stopped and enjoyed meeting kids, teens, and adults on the campus of Ashland University. We met weekly “campers” who were passionate about soccer, cheer leading, and history. We stopped and made new friends from Africa, China, and Ukraine. We noticed how precious those people, moments, and heart-sharing were, and then they were gone. Many of those people we’ll never see again, but we were changed by them. How does God grow a heart for His people, His Kingdom, and His world? One day, one person, one moment at a time.
Each day I’m awakened by God’s Spirit with a fresh invitation to encounter my God and experience Him fresh and anew. Listen to these powerful words I’m feeding on. “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom…Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, so that we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us see your miracles again; let our children see your glory at work. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful.” (Psalm 90:12-17)
God is teaching me to make the most of my time by stopping to notice all that He’s made. I’m treasuring His beauty and majesty through flowers, animals, and people He’s created to display His glory. Looking up into the sky and seeing hot air balloons lifts our spirits to the Lord of the skies. When my friend, Garrett Gerwig, was a young boy, he used to tape together clear bags and blow them up into the air with a hair dryer. He had a dream of someday owning and flying his own hot air balloon. Now we watch him flying over us in the evenings when we go out for walks together. Why not go after your dream. What is God calling you to go and do for him?
Life is short. Flowers get eaten’. Berries and veggies get eaten’. People come and go. Our loved ones grow old and will also die. Our lives are but a vapor. We’re here today and gone tomorrow. Instead of becoming casual, consumed, or fatalistic, why not seize the moments at hand. Why spend a few moments with God and people each day when you can spend an hour or more together.
Why try squeezing God and people encounters into brief greetings when you can savor the moments, linger, enjoy, and be changed by them? How do you get a heart for God and His people? Slow down and get to know them. Your life will become richer. You’ll be educated. Your world will get bigger and smaller. You’ll be looking for God and find Him everywhere, especially in the eyes of those who bear His image.
