Slow Down

This evening my family and I went out shopping. It was one of those beautiful spring evenings with the perfect temperature and warm, gorgeous sunshine. On the drive home I watched the sunset, one of those blazing orange sunsets. I realized how often we miss this beautiful change from light to darkness. We're so consumed by other things, internet, TV, movies, etc. that we miss out on the beauty of simplicity. It made me think, "What else am I missing?"

The saying "stop and smell the roses" popped into my head. It made me think of my grandpa, who passed away two years ago almost to the day. He loved the outdoors. He would literally stop and smell the roses. But it's not just a literal thing, we need to stop and look at what is around us, not pass it all by in the rush of things. What we really need is to slow down and take time to watch and listen.

Just watching the sunset brought me a peace that I will never find by staring at a screen for hours on end. God's beauty is higher than any material thing.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need then all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. 'Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.'"

~Matthew 6:25-34