A
couple of days after Thanksgiving, I slid my belongings into a bag and thought
through my list of what I still needed to do before we took our long return
trip home. I wondered if I had enough time to take a final bike ride along the
shore before the rest of the house stirred.
Bike
riding is at the top of my list of favorite things to do in this world. I imagine
it’s for the same reasons that people ride motorcycles, but I like the wind
against my helmet at a more moderate speed, say, five miles an hour. I’ve had spills
and near misses over the years, but I still go for it even when the weather is
a little iffy.
The
practical side of me weighed in and answered my question, “No, you still have
more work to do.” So, I kept zipping along. As I worked, I’d occasionally glance
outside where the sun rose on the horizon. As it sometimes does, my watch binged
and I checked it to see if I had a text message, but instead these words appeared,
“Take a moment.”
I
guess my activity level had signaled my watch to deliver a reminder to slow
down a bit. But for me, it was just the encouragement I needed to tip the scale
in favor of the bike ride.
I
strapped on my helmet, grabbed a jacket, and took off. I’m so glad I did. I
would have hated to face hours riding in the car knowing I gave up those
moments of joy. The ride held bird song, lapping waves, glinting sun, and a
whole host of egrets camping out in the marsh. It was a marvel to be in all
that God has created.
Here
at this juncture between Thanksgiving and Christmas, maybe we need to take a moment
to reassess and decide how we’re going to spend our time. We need to factor in
the moments to just be, to really enjoy the lives we have instead of as I am prone
to do—allowing our lists
to rule us.
A wise man once wrote, “We should make the most of what God gives,
both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and
delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 The Message).
Let's remember to offer Him thanks
for His amazing gifts.
Enjoy your moment.