Two herniated discs in my cervical spine yielded me in bed, barely able to move for more than six weeks. The pain and nerve damage caused by the injury were so severe that surgery became the only sane solution. In spite of the agony that burned through my body and the loneliness that accompanied the forced solitude, I began to experience beauty in what had become ordinary.
My husband’s crooked smile
The silky auburn fur covering my dachshund
The blue swirls painted in the eyes of my boy
My daughter’s sing-song voice as she talks about the events that filled her day
Reintroducing myself to nature was like walking into an exquisite art gallery. I now take time, no matter how busy my day gets, to go outside and drink in sunshine for at least 10 minutes every afternoon. During one of my sunshine moments I passed a rose garden…I stopped and listened to the cliched advice “stop and smell the roses.”
I pressed my nose against the soft petals and filled my lungs with the sweet aroma. One flower was not enough…I must have sniffed a dozen roses that afternoon. I felt as though God jumped out in front of me, hand behind his back, and said “Close your eyes and hold out your hand…I have a surprise for you.”
As I lifted my nose away from the flowers, I spotted a tiny ladybug resting on a leaf. Without thinking, I did something that I am glad no one witnessed me doing. I kissed the tip of my right pinky finger and then gently touched ladybug. It was a nonsensical act that made perfect sense to me at the moment. It was not an act of love toward the bug…it was more of a thank you note to God…a way to communicate how blessed I am to be a part of His creation. And…it was also an apology for all the times that I took His marvelous gifts for granted.
You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. – 1 Peter 3:4
Have you recently taken time to quiet your spirit and enjoy a blessing that you often take for granted?
By: Angela Nazworth, Becoming Me
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He slows us to See. How lovely.
Rich blessings, Angela, as you soak His {Grace} in…
Love it and the beauty of the world around us…..it’s there if you look! Thanks for sharing and hope you’re recovering, and when you do fully recover that you still stop and smell the roses 🙂
Whoa – did I need this today. Life is just toooo busy sometimes. I’ll be watching for lady bugs today. Thank you so much.
So beautiful!
I sat on the back porch last night for a long time and listened to summer come through the trees. I forget how much my other senses need to be fed too when so much of the day is spent in front of a computer screen! Thanks for the reminder that everything around is something to be enjoyed and appreciated!
Thank you so much. The words allowed me to visualize this line – God jumped out in front of me, hand behind his back, and said “Close your eyes and hold out your hand…I have a surprise for you.”
How awesome is that!!!
Thanks for the reminder that we all need to “slow down” and enjoy all of His creation.
Yes! Yes!! Yes!! God wants us all to slow down & smell the roses! We need to see His beauty in trees, flowers, sunshine, rain, birds, animals. etc.
Everyone should take a walk outside each day, if possible, and take in the beauty of all that God has given us!
Wonderful reminder – great post!!!
No better reminder than this. I love the SLOW beauty of my life. Somedays–I spend too much time enjoying the simple. Finding a healthy balance is often one of the biggest challenges.
Each of us MUST stop and savour what God has lavishly given us. He shouldn’t have to STOP us to get our attention.
Still learning…
I think we’ve all forgotten (myself included) that God made the 7th day … for resting. But how many of us REALLY do it? God intended us to rest. Take a walk, take a nap, try a hobby, read a book, call a friend……whatever. And while you’re resting, look around at God’s beautiful gifts!
Far too often I forget that Rest is one of God’s gifts to us!
Enchanting! I’m thankful that God’s interruptions are better than our best laid plans. And why wouldn’t they be he’s the God of ladybugs, I could never have thought one up!
So true Beck!
I’ve become acutely aware of the nourishment all around me, if I will just drink in His Glory! Thanks for the beautiful reminder, Angela.
“Nourishment all round me!” Love that!!!
I want to slow down so that I will see the “lady bugs” in my life. Those small, often overlooked blesses in my life that otherwise go unnoticed.
it’s a beautiful thing to see things with fresh eyes. i hate that pain was the cause to do it, but i’m so proud of the heart you have that chose to see beauty around you, too.
I like you have had back surgery X2 hope you are feeling better. Nature and Gardening is a great pain relief because it keep you mind off your pain. New blog on the History of the Ladybug-http://historyoftheladybug.blogspot.com/