Looking up...
The views for the holidays here in Northeastern Tennessee are lovely; here is a reminder to find beauty where you are.
Look for the unexpected, say prayers for others as they cross your mind; be it family, a friend, someone on the street that you pass by, someone you work with that you would rather not waste time on, families in sorrow, those around the world as leaders and decision makers for the rest of us. No shortage of things to pray for and here is a key to why: it ignites power that brings results that we can't even, and usually do not, see.
I do it while I'm driving and see or hear an ambulance or a police car, when I see a Mom in the store; worn out with kids who are worn out, with friends who tell me things are going on and though I rarely watch the news (too much to try and eradicate out of my brain once it gets in); when I hear of Horrible Things, I pray. Pray without ceasing we are instructed so there must be a reason for it.
I pray lots of things; for protection for my family, and yes, for me. For me to grow in a peaceful heart, in generosity, in patience, in trust of those things which are written but that which I also do not see, or have not seen yet.
Sometimes, I look up, just to see what I'm missing; like the beautiful wreath on the lamppost, way over my head. I'm in the library as I write this and the ceiling is painted a bright sky-blue with white cumulus clouds. How cheerful is that?
Also, metaphorically, start looking up toward the heavenlies; those regions far above earth, where things happen that we can't explain but that we receive. I receive Good Things sprinkled like stars in the Milky Way over the cereal bowl called Earth and there I am, standing by with my spoon to scoop them up, enjoy them and get nourishment from them.
The rest; the waste? Well, use what you can, move on, don't beat yourself up over something that you can't fix or change. Even if you would have done things differently, so what? Acknowledge and go on!
Personal stressors; yes, there are many. Just keep moving on down the path. Get a hug, get some sleep, get some good food...nourishment of the body and soul.
Enjoy a few pics of the season from Rogersville, TN. I'll be back in a few days after cataract surgery. Another miracle is in store!
Merry-Happy to you, along the way!
