Rewind

Spent the day yesterday feeling a little sick. I guess the previous day's activity-- two hours of kayaking, an hour of walking, an hour run in the morning, and all the excitement running the rapids of the Catawba to see the world famous Spider Lilies -- did me in. I am not as young as I used to be. Maybe I was never that young. So I spent most of the day sitting and working on my sequel to Joe- The Horse Nobody Loved. 

I reached 50,000 words on my sequel, well on my way to the finish line.  I love writing, probably as much as I love kayaking. Still, even feeling a little sick from overdoing it with kayaking the day before, I wanted desperately to return to the beautiful spider lilies in the Catawba river. Now that I know I can do those rapids, I want to return to the lilies, and smell them. I was so overwhelmed with trying to navigate the fast water, that I didn't stop long enough in their midst. I think I would be much better a second time. I hope to talk my daughter into going with me this weekend.

 And here is why I want to smell them. After I wrote about them, a bunch of people commented about how great it was that I took "the time to smell the roses." Except I didn't. I didn't smell the lilies. I was too busy trying not to slam against the rocks the lilies lived on as the swirling waters of the Catawba propelled me through their midst.

And it struck me that I don't take nearly enough time to hit the pause button and enjoy the experience of life. I am almost exclusively a fast forward sort of personality.

So I want to go back. I want to not panic over the rapids, but to trust I will safely navigate them. I want to relax more during the slow river sections, and not worry about the scary sections around the bend.  I want to stop and smell the lilies.

Unlike in life, I could go kayak to the lilies again. So I should.
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Proverbs 3:5 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Romans 8:28 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Psalm 37:4-6 

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Proverbs 3:6 

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 46:10 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”