Appreciating "Now"

A calm ocean. Sitting in a boat soaking in the rays. Purely perfect. Waves start to come in. You see they are small. Just the right size to play in! Boogie boarding, surfing and all sorts of water fun. When you have exhausted yourself with playing you get back to the boat to go and peacefully lie in the sun once more. The smell and the sound of the water are so calming.

A bit of time passes you look off into the horizon and you see a storm. Knowing that you need to get to shore where it's safe you start your small boat up. What you didn't see was how fast the storm was coming. In no time it hits your little boat with vicious winds and crushing waves. You hold on and try to press through. But your visibility is poor and getting to shore seems nearly impossible with the boats small engine.

A huge wave hits your small boat and nearly throws you overboard. Choking on salt water and holding onto the rail you don't know what else to do but to pray. Down on your knees you pour out your heart in prayer and ask for help. You notice that even though the storm is still raging a large rescue boat has found you and is coming your way! You say a thankful prayer in your heart and wave your arms in the air. "Over here! Help me!" You welcome the safety of the large vessel. Once aboard the storm rages on, but you now have the help of many people. They have provided you with shelter and nourishment. Friendship and comfort. Peace of mind. Together, this large boat with many people are so much better equipped to handle a storm than you were all by yourself.

That's how life is. Ever notice that we most appreciate the calm waters only after  the storm has hit us? I think the biggest mistake we can make is to not bask in the sun when the waters are calm, but to think, "is this all that life is about? Floating here?"

Do you know what I miss? I miss being boring. I miss my old boring life. And by boring I mean wonderful!

If you are in a place right now where you feel stuck in a rut with things, maybe it's time to be grateful for it. Maybe you get up at the same time everyday, go to work at the same time everyday, eat lunch at the same time everyday...you get the picture. Or maybe it's that you have young children and it's diapers and spit-up, crying and whining, owies and Elmo. Whatever your "rut" is, maybe it's time to see it as a blessing. Calling it a "rut" might not be the best thing to call it either. Sometimes it feels like that, but really it is just a consistency that you have in your life. Things that you know are there and need to get done for your and your families days to go well. Things that, although they may not be the most fun, are important. That means you are important! That means your so-called rut is a HUGE blessing in your life. It's the calm water!!! Love this phase, as it is sure to follow the cycle of life and someday it won't be so calm.

Life can offer different things that add a lot of excitement, different waves. Fun ones like a new jobs, new house, new baby. Those are great! Then there are the violent waves. Illness, loss of a loved one, car accidents and natural disasters. Those are the kind of excitement we don't want and don't ask for. Then when the waters get calm again, and they will, you can look beck on the storm and see all the things that you learned.

My goal is to more appreciate what I am experiencing now. Even though right now I kind of wish my life was a little more 'boring' (read calm), I can appreciate little moments. No matter if you are playing in the nice waves, enduring a storm or just floating along in the calm water, try to take a step back once in a while. It is easy to look back and appreciate something, but can we do it now? Is it possible? Hard sometimes?...Yes! But definitely possible.