Have you ever thought “It’s been a long week” on a Tuesday? I sure hope it is not just me! That is how I was feeling when I was getting ready yesterday morning. One of those mornings when I had not slept well and as soon as I started to wake, the dictates of the day downloaded immediately. Oi. The first thing on the agenda was my weekly weigh-in. Again, oi. Well, the Mother’s Day take-out had been yummy and it was a special meal, enjoyed over a virtual dinner with my mom and daughter. Ok, I decided I could live with that number and just hit the reset button on the healthy eating. Still, not a real positive start to the day.
As I puttered in the kitchen, I was feeling a bit edgy so I wanted to stop that negativity in it’s tracks. Then I remembered one of the Mother’s Day gifts my daughter had sent! Cocoa beans that could be brewed like coffee! What could be better than chocolate for breakfast!
A bit later I took my warm mug of chocolaty love downstairs to worship and pray for a bit before my online teaching began. As my thoughts shifted from the pressure I felt as I began to enjoy God’s presence, my mood started to lift. One of the things I find helpful if I am feeling down is to get myself off of my mind! Some powerful worship music like “Let the Light In” and “All He Says I Am” by Cody Carnes reminded me of what was really important, and that is not me. Before long I was ready to face the demands of the day.
I am finally feeling in the groove of teaching my college program online but it is the last week of classes for the term and there is so much going on. The young ladies are ready to get into the workplace but working on tackling interview questions had some of them stressed out. It was a challenging morning. Lots of grading yet to do, I was not ready to face it so I asked my husband if he was interested in a little adventure. Of course he was!
We jumped into the van and headed to a friend’s house first for a porch drop off of her long overdue birthday gift and an appropriately distanced chat. It was great to see her after so many months. Then we took a drive to a nearby nature center and set off for a walk.
As I walked and talked with my husband, enjoying the peace of the woods with lustrous shades of green, the remnants of stress and pressure evaporated from my mind and my shoulders. Feeling the ground under my feet, holding my husband’s hand and seeing the beauty around me had me grounded again. Then the best of all, we found a small structure and decided to investigate. There was a bird feeding area and we had it all to ourselves.
We marveled at the various birds that were feeding there, enchanted by their antics and by how unafraid they were of us. We stayed for quite a while and then my husband and I promised ourselves we would come back soon.
As we climbed back into our vehicle to head home I felt refreshed and very much content with the day. Sometimes just intentional refocusing and a bit of fresh air are all that are needed to lift the cares of my world.
Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Matthew 6:26 MSG
Seasons with Grace 
Nature is so refreshing; it displays the creative wonder of God’s grace and power. Speaking of creative grace and power, when I read my wife’s blogs, I see a perspective of her mind even more clearly than at any other time. Her natural graciousness shines through brilliantly, and my heart falls deeper in love again.
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