Recently I’ve been in a bit of a wanderlust state … having a pensive spirit…a foreboding that I’m missing out on “something’, that the grass is greener somewhere else…in a different city…a different state…a different country; anywhere but here.
Logically I know this not to be true, the doldrums of daily life will always find me no matter my location. Perhaps these feelings stem from having tunnel vision. Allowing the “seemingly” mundane predictable cyclic nature of my day to day life to keep my focus narrow and forgetting to take a broader view.
This point was driven home to me recently while walking my dogs in my neighborhood. We had taken a familiar route, one we probably have walked a thousand times, when half-way through I realized I was staring down just 1&1/2 feet in front of myself the entire time. Now let me tell you, concrete sidewalks do not make for riveting scenery. When I looked up, I saw a gorgeous fuchsia azalea bush, so vibrant it surprised me. For the rest of the walk I intentionally made myself look at my surroundings instead of the ground; I discovered (or rediscovered) that I live in a nice neighborhood.
I realize that my foreboding feelings of missing out on “something” was true; that “something” was the beauty and blessings of my life in the here and now. I just need to want to see it! I am reminded of an old hymn we used to sing, the chorus goes “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
This experience has inspired me to do a series of posts titled “5 Beautiful Things” which will highlight 5 things from my life that are a beautiful blessing. Here are my first 5 Beautiful Things!
Jet & Griz, they give me unconditional love & a multitude of laughter and smiles!
The Wallace Adventure! 