Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Hurry

Chances are 50% or more of your friends have already put up their Christmas tree. Radio stations are already playing non-stop Christmas music. Retail stores have been stocked with Christmas decor since before Halloween. And people everywhere are already worried about what gift to give that special someone and everyone else on their list. But guess what? Thanksgiving hasn't even taken it's first breath. Why do we do that? Why must we rush everything in our lives in hopes of getting to "the good stuff"?

As kids we think, "I can't wait until I'm double digits." Then it's, "I can't wait to be a teenager." Followed by, "I can't wait until I get my driver's license." And on and on it goes. Sadly, even as we grow older and hopefully more wise, the hurry train doesn't slow down one bit. In our old(er) age, we know life moves quickly and yet, when we are faced with something new or difficult like college or sleepless nights or other life changing hardships, we are wishing them away.

Our society is one of mass hurry. We can't even wait in line for 5 minutes without getting frustrated. It's gotten so bad that we don't even have the time to swipe our credit cards. We just want to tap a screen and go. What in the world? Where are we all going that we need to get there so quickly? When did we lose the beauty of the here and now? Life is a gift. It's not in the next moment... it's in the now. Even if the "now" is painful. There's beauty there.

In fact, last time I checked, there wasn't so much that was painful about Thanksgiving. It's a day we spend with family and friends (maybe that's the hard part - but we are called to love one another as Christ loved us), we eat a fine feast that has been lovingly prepared (many are not so blessed and their plate is empty), we watch football, play cards, go see movies, take naps. And, we take one day out of the year to contemplate what we are thankful for. I don't know, maybe we're just all doing it wrong and that's why everyone is so eager to skip over Thanksgiving. But I, for one, would like to slow down and give thanks for my many blessings that I have been given. Today, yesterday, last year and all of my tomorrows.

I understand that Christmas is a time of joy. There is an anticipation and an excitement surrounding the holiday that produces a certain feeling that no other holiday can duplicate. We are celebrating the birth of our Savior after all. And yet, it is because of this great holiday, this magnificent birthday, that I want to take just one day to pause and give thanks alongside family and friends. I don't want to sacrifice the beautiful holiday of Thanksgiving to race to the next thing. I want to enjoy and savor every blessing that God has given me.

Today I am choosing to slow down. To not hurry on to the next moment. The next life-stage. The next big event. I want to live now. I want to imbibe every single day with all of it's difficulties, joys, hardships and laughter. I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. But when I'm present in the here and now, if I really look deep, I can see the beauty. It's there. It's always there. xo

>>breathtaking images via garden and gun