|
|
|
|
 |
      |
|
From Small and
Simple . . . |
|
| |
Gentle
Reminders,Warning Signals, and the Whirlwind
(c) 2001 Marnie Pehrson |
|
"One of the
biggest lessons we're here to learn
is to appreciate what we have, take care of it, and enjoy it"
|
 Over
the last few months, a friend of mine who used to live on a neighboring farm,
but through circumstances beyond her control now lives in an apartment, has been
lamenting the loss of her outdoor view. Her son stays at my house several days a
week and when she picks him up; she wistfully longs to have a front porch view
like mine and vows that one day she will again. I remind her that she's welcome
to come by and sit on my front porch anytime. Of course, do I ever sit on my
front porch and enjoy the view? Hardly! I'm too busy chasing toddlers, studying,
writing or building Web communities to make time to relax and enjoy the view 10
steps away from my computer desk.
Yesterday, she stopped by my house at 4:30 when I was busy at my computer and
urged me out onto my front porch to chat, ''Come on, come on, get away from that
computer for a few minutes and enjoy this porch! It's gorgeous out here!'' she
coaxed. Reluctantly, I left my email box to join her on the front porch. I had
no clue how unseasonably warm it was outside. As we sat and talked, it struck me
how blessed we are. We have so much abundance that we don't even have the time
to enjoy it all. As we spoke, I began to see my blessings through new eyes --
through the eyes of my friend who could truly appreciate them. Upon watching her
drive away, I was left with a sense of gratitude, but also a sense of sadness
for my friend who had lost something so precious to her. This was a gentle
reminder for me to not only count my blessings but also to take time to enjoy
them.
I believe that life is about learning lessons. And one of the biggest lessons
we're here to learn is to appreciate what we have, take care of it, and enjoy
it. Life has a way of seeing that we do this through three progressive phases:
gentle reminders, warning signals and calamity (the whirlwind). It's like your
automobile. You know those little stickers that gently remind you when your oil
was last changed and when it needs to be changed again? If you ignore that
gentle reminder, the warning light will come on in your car. If you ignore the
oil light, then get ready for calamity to strike -- serious damage to your car.
Our bodies work similarly. Loss of energy or weight gain act as gentle
reminders. Excessive colds and flu, low blood sugar, or anemia can act as
warning signals. Then, if we ignore our bodies long enough, they'll use serious
illnesses to get our attention. Not only does this principle work for our bodies
and automobiles, but it also works in every aspect of our lives and even in
societies as a whole.
The older I get, the more I realize that I should be listening to the gentle
reminders before they get to warning signals and whirlwinds. But this isn't
something I'm good at. Matter of fact, it's a motif for my life -- ''ignore it
until it gets to the crisis point then scrounge in a panic to repair the
damage.'' Will I never learn that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure?
As I was thinking about this, I thought to myself, ''You knowI don't think I use
to have gentle reminders. I think my life went straight to warning signals and
whirlwinds.'' But you know what? I'm convinced there were gentle reminders, but
I was just too busy or hard-headed to see them. I didn't recognize them for what
they were. Recently, I've noticed more gentle reminders and have discovered that
they come in many forms:
My one-year-old son peeking around a corner with flirty eyes and coy grin is a
reminder of how precious these days in his life are and how blessed I am to have
happy, healthy beautiful children. This reminder is saying, ''Take time to enjoy
them!'' Seeing my friends and family members struggle with illness or loss, are
gentle reminders to appreciate my blessings while I have them. A friend pointing
out my blessings is a gentle reminder to be grateful for what I have instead of
continually running on a treadmill for ''more and better'' things that I'll just
eventually ignore and take for granted too. My husband coaxing me out onto the
front porch to see a stunning sunset is a gentle reminder to enjoy nature and
take time for those I love. My weary eyes at the end of the day are a gentle
reminder to stop burning the candle at both ends and get more rest.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. What are your gentle reminders? I
challenge you to notice them, and then act upon their messages before they
progress to warning signals and heaven-forbid, the whirlwind.
[This story is an excerpt from the book 10
Steps to Fulfilling Your Divine Destiny.]
|
| Marnie Pehrson is a wife and mother
of 6, an Internet developer, writer & creator of SheLovesGod.com,
IdeaMarketers.com, Ads4Homes.com, and Pros-n-Cons.com. She is the author of 10
Steps to Fulfilling Your Divine Destiny: A Christian Woman's Guide to Learning
& Living God's Plan for Her.
The author may be contacted at http://www.shelovesgod.com
webmaster@shelovesgod.com.
Copyright 2001, Marie Pehrson
Return to From
Small and Simple Things |
|
|
|
