Notice - Snowflakes

Hi

It is one of those wonderful Indiana days, where the snow flakes are fluttering to the ground, like miniature, crystallized butterflies. 

I know not all of you appreciate the winter weather like I do, but hang in there, and let me tell you about my entrance into my office this morning.

I was walking in, balancing my orange and grapefruit (my daughter had a fruit sale to support her band and who can beat Florida citrus in the winter?) and coffee, and I noticed...

I noticed the snowflakes fluttering by.

so...

I had to stop.

I stood there in the middle of the parking lot road with my tongue hanging out, trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue.  The wind was blowing them toward me, as I faced the west, and so I could pick out a flake and watch it come toward me.

In my usual fashion of taking the initiative and "getting things done" I looked west, chose a particularly juicy (is a snowflake juicy?) flake, and then moved to try to catch it - moving my head, mouth, tongue and body in odd gyrations to get the flake onto my tongue.

it moved

at the last minute, a tiny gust of wind blew it sideways and I did not get it.

So, driven to succeed and with a little less pleasure and a little more, "Don't mess with me!", I located another snowflake, opened my mouth, zigged left, zagged right, up a little, down a little and it was headed right toward my tongue and...it moved, just over my head...

over and over I tried - probably creating some funny imagery to anyone watching me - and over and over I failed - not a single flake.

then, in despair, I closed my mouth, gathered my things together, turned to face the door...

and was promptly hit in the lips with a snowflake - much to my joy!


the point?

sometimes I try too hard to make something happen that I am sure needs to happen just the way I have it designed in my mind - even noticing can be tainted by my psycho need to plan and control!

in my most convicted moments, I figure maybe the best way to do life is to give up on the "trying" so hard and planning and just let life come to me and see what happens.

problem is that if I apply this idea to my snowflaky (just invented a word) morning then i would have never even seen the snowflakes - I never would have been "trying" to notice the snowflakes.  I never would have stood and stuck my tongue out.  I never would have laughed at the joy of the moment.

So, if I try and control, I lose my joy because I dominate it and kill it and if I try to just relax and let is come, then I miss it.

the answer?

give the effort to notice - try some

involve God and let go of the outcome and the way it will happen - let go some

give thanks and savor the moments

you might be surprised what you will catch on your tongue!

if you identify with the struggle of day-to-day, we would love to have you join us at the next More than more - dec 22nd 645-800pm at McAllister Recreation Center, in Lafayette - hope to see you there!