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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