A Break

Excited. Overwhelmed.  

Proud. Nervous.  

Thankful. Fearful.  

Delighted. Worried.  

Curious. Confused.  

Busy. Wait…

Just pause…

Don’t miss this.

Do you see?

Look closely…

Oh!...

Such beauty!…

Exhale…

Linger…

Soak it all in…

Soak up life, and peace, and grace.

Soak up hope, and quiet, and rest.

Soak up beauty that gets digested and absorbed

as nourishing food for your soul.

This one moment, this one piece of beauty,

makes all the craziness stop, 

all the noise becomes dull, 

and the world takes a pause from its spinning.  

This is just what I need.

A break from it all.

A break from the baskets of laundry crying out to be washed, 

the ever-growing stack of buckets to be cleaned, 

and the hungry tummies of growing kids who, again, need something to eat.  

A break from the overwhelming weight of the mental load I’m carrying, 

filled with yet another thing to add to the perpetual to-do list.  

A break from my own failures and shortcomings 

as a mother, as a wife, as a friend.  

I’ve desperately needed a break for so long, 

and I’ve found it here in my garden.

God has shown His mercy, kindness, and faithfulness toward me 

in this tiny and delicate little flower.  

He knew how long I had been gasping for air 

and He knew just how to capture my attention.  

This beautiful bloom 

with its paper-thin petals 

dancing in the breeze 

stopped me in my tracks and captivated my attention.  

It was like a reset button for my soul, 

rescuing me from the swirling chaos of my mind and bringing me 

back 

down 

to earth 

with my feet planted firmly on solid ground.

Oh, the safety and security of solid ground!

My life and my reality remain the same, 

but I’ve been made new yet again.  

Once more, I’ve been revived and refreshed by 

the God of the universe, 

the God of the flowers, 

and the God of my soul.

This is one more note

in the melody of God’s faithfulness 

that’s being repeated 

over and over 

in my life, 

and I’m thankful He has given me ears to hear it.

Will you listen today?

Will you stop all the swirling and take in the beauty around you?

There is power in beauty.

Take it in and let the Creator use it 

to revive your soul.

—

Let’s keep going and keep growing, flower friends.