Stop

Last night after meeting up with a friend, I had the unique opportunity to come home early in the evening. Some how my week nights get filled with late meetings, choir practices, bible study, dinners with friends, or other evening activities that seem to come up. But last night I was home at 6:00 with nothing planned or nothing I had to run off and accomplish. And on top of that, you guessed it, it was raining. For a moment I thought about what I could get done at home, or maybe turning on the tv to see what might be on. But instead, I grabbed a book and since we are having this unusual warm weather in the middle of december, decided to enjoy the rain a bit on my porch. I sat there trying to keep my book from getting too soaked, but reading and at the same time enjoying all the sounds the rain makes as it hits the ground, the porch, the cars, the houses, the road. When it became apparent that my book was getting a little on the damp side, I decided to retreat back into the house. I laid my book out on the table so that it would dry and grabbed a blanket and curled up on the couch. There, through my sliding glass doors, I watched the small storm pass over. There were a few spots of lightning and sounds of thunder, but the rain was constant. Then it just stopped. Just like that, the storm was over and there was a break from the rain.

So why am I rambling about the rain and this experience yesterday. Because if I hadn't taken the opportunity to just stop moving, working, running around, I would have missed out on one of the most calming and enjoyable experiences I have had. I can't plan the storms, but I can take the time to enjoy them. I am one of those people who likes to be busy, getting things done, meeting with friends, but sometimes it is just nice to stop, do nothing, and just enjoy the moment!