During my pregnancy- I went through a pretty rough time emotionally, I was suffering with daily panic attacks as well as a whole lot of other stuff. One evening, Steve and I went to a church prayer meeting, where one of our pastors asked me the fateful question 'how are you Sarah?' I landed on him in a pile of desperate tears- 'I just don't what to do Tope' I wept hysterically.
He got the whole group to stand around me and pray over me. I sat in the middle of the group- with my huge baby bump and I waited expectantly for deliverance and some amazing prophesies from God. I really appreciated the prayer and felt a certain amount of peace but deliverance did not come. Tope gave me a word from Genesis 3:
the LORD God (was) walking in the garden in the cool of the day... (Genesis 3:8 ESV)
He really felt like that's what God was saying to me. At the time I wasn't quite sure what to do with this. But I soon remembered a phrase my mum had told me 'remember to stop and smell the roses'. I felt that God was saying that I needed to take life slower, enjoy simple pleasures, enjoy the process rather than rushing to the final outcome. Although I don't always succeed in doing this- especially with a small, hyper active baby, I have been really working hard at slowing down.
Today, I was walking to town with Ruby in the buggy, as the two of us had been in the house for too long and we had both started to get cabin fever. I had nowhere particular to be and nothing really to buy, but I found myself rushing down the road. I was treating my walk into town as a mission that needed to be completed rather than an experience to be enjoyed. So I slowed down. I decided to look around and see what was about. You'd be amazed what you see when you actually look.
I got out my phone and took some snaps of some of the things I spotted.
Beauty and inspiration can be found everywhere when we slow down and look. The picture at the centre of this montage is a mosaic made by some year 8 students- it's been just down the road from where I live for ages and this is the first time I've seen it!
When I arrived in the town centre I decided to have a little look in TK Maxx. I love that shop! You never know what little treasures you'll find when you have a bit of a rummage. I am a massive Stevie Wonder fan so this sign caught my eye.
So my advice to you and to myself is slow down, look and enjoy.
I love your post. I agree that stopping to enjoy the small things really helps. I've found that one of the things that has helped me in the last few years is finding joy in the small things and thanking God for them (be that a beautiful Spring day or the birds in my garden).
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