I went outside last evening to do something and stopped in my tracks. The curve of the moon…nothing more than a thumbnail…was like a cup, ready to catch the “falling star” that was Venus. It took my breath away. Anytime the moon is near the horizon, it looks much bigger than it really is. And unless you have the proper camera lens, it’s not going to look like much more than a dot on a picture. But I loved the way the Christmas decorations shed light up on the naked maple tree with just the ghostly images of the building and fence. And there was the celestial spectacle, just waiting for me to see it.
It reminded me of how we live so much of our lives in the dark without knowing what beauty lies beyond our diminished horizons. For instance, if I hadn’t have thought of something I left in the truck, I never would have walked out the back door at exactly the right moment. Yet, this beauty would have been there, whether I saw it or not. We don’t look up enough. Or out, for that matter.
We are all too often like a pickup driving an old back road. Over the years, the storms that come along turn the road to mud. And when the people come, which they inevitably do, their wheels dig deep ruts in the road. Eventually, the mud dries, but the ruts stay. After a while, it gets harder and harder to steer out of those ruts till it’s actually the road steering us.
The only way around that is to look further ahead down the road, plot your course on a different path, and steer away from the ruts. Taking a different path leads to different scenery, different experiences, different outcomes. And, sometimes you are treated to an entirely different view you weren’t expecting.
There is so much beauty in the world. Don’t let the naysayers and the mainstream media pundits tell you there is not goodness out there. I sat in line at the drive-thru of my favorite coffee shop yesterday. I asked the gal at the window how much the order was behind me? It was under $5, so I said, “Add it to mine.” I pulled off to the side to sit and really savor my coffee slowly and I glanced in my rear view mirror as the person behind me waved enthusiastically. It made me smile at the simple gift I could give to a stranger.
I had to stop at Walmart to pick up a couple of things and decided to buy longer charging cords for our new phones. There was one young girl waiting on people in the electronics section. I found myself thinking about all the other things I needed to do and asking myself if I should leave the line and pick up what I needed and come back or just wait it out. The thought, “Well, this is just the way things are now. The pandemic has changed so many aspects of our every day lives. The supply chain is messed up. People are not just settling for lower paying jobs now so there’s a shortage of employees. Yada, yada, yada…”
I could have gotten myself in a tizzy for nothing. Instead, I listened. Christmas music was playing. A woman was looking at the photos she was picking up and smiling at them. A young man was sitting in one of the electric scooters you can drive around. He was carefully reading the boxes on some sort of electronic item making sure he had the right thing. And elderly couple shuffled slowly by…bent over…holding hands. They carefully carried a small bag of oranges. I felt eyes on me and looked over at the young woman behind the counter. She was so serene in the midst of the line waiting for her attention. She smiled at me.
“What can I help you with?”
“Are you sure? I just need a couple of charging cords.”
“Sure, come on.”
We walked over and I had what I needed in less than thirty seconds.
“Thanks so much!”
“Not a problem. Have a great day!”
As I turned to walk away, I heard her sweet voice say to the next customer “What can I help you with?”
There is beauty in the world. You just have to look for it. For some odd reason, that was the impetus I’ve been looking for to get me started on decorating the tree. All of a sudden, that was all I could think of…just getting home and handling the treasures we share just this one time a year. By evening, I had all but the most fragile vintage ornaments up on the tree. I’ll finish them today, vacuum the room and pick up a little, and we’ll call it good. I didn’t put all the tchotchkes out this year. I just wanted to keep it simple.
We have a very busy month ahead with lots of end-of-the-year appointments we have to attend. It’s not the laid back holiday month I had hoped for, so keeping everything else simple makes things seem a little less hectic. Having the tree finished opens up opportunities for a little impromptu baking. I picked up some apples and ready made pie crusts. Remember, while homemade from scratch is excellent, there’s nothing wrong with substituting a little store bought to make your life easier.
Remember…Work smarter, not harder.
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“Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah”
Psalm 89:37 ESV