Have you ever stopped, completely stopped, to look at a beautiful sunset? We’ve all seen them on our way home from work, or to and from some event and think, “How beautiful,” as we continue to our next destination. We hardly ever consider how refreshing it might be to actually stop for a moment and enjoy the view. I’ll never forget the night several years ago when I was coming home along a road that lies above our village. From that location, the sunset was the most spectacular sight I’d ever seen. I immediately pulled over and parked my car, where I sat in awe. As I watched the sky before me, I lifted a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus for the privilege of being right there at that very moment. Colors and cloud formations such as I had never seen before. Then it hit me: for the first time, in I don’t know how long, I didn’t let the opportunity pass. It typically wasn’t in my nature to stop for anything; I was always in a hurry, even when I didn’t need to be. As I sat there, an unusual calm came over me and my existence, with all its busyness, collided with the reality of God’s omnipresence. A display of His awesome grandeur lay before me, prompting stillness and reflection. Slowly, the sky changed, and so did my thoughts, back to the things I needed to do when I got home. There I was, caught in a moment of time between perfect peace and my hectic schedule. This divergence of emotion beckoned me to evaluate the pace at which I lived. Was it necessary? Were there things I could change that would make my life less stressful? If I can’t take time to appreciate the life God has given me, including a brief pause for an amazing sunset, then something’s wrong. How about you? Does your busy routine keep you from the simple pleasures that make life special?
Arleen Jennings
www.arleenjennings.com
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW
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Wow, Arleen, in such a short space you so clearly and lovingly addressed a huge issue! Three and a half years ago, God joined me in marriage to a wonderful man who began to teach me how to connect with Father God through His creation, and through the special moments He brings. We have begun to order our lives very differently from the world (and from most of the organized church!). God has sed this truth to begin drawing me into an irresistible, growing intimacy with Him. Your whole piece tied together beautifully and touched my heart-- thank you!
