Treat each day as a gift. I know this is the right way to live but I don't always live this way. I can easily become so consumed with everything I think I have to do. Or I begin worrying about so many things. And many of those things I have no business worrying about.
As my mind becomes so cluttered, I miss out on the beauty all around me. There have been times when I'm driving to work so deep in thought I missed my exit off the freeway.
Lately I've been taking a different route, a more scenic one. I'm purposely trying to become more aware of my surroundings. The desert of Phoenix is actually quite beautiful.
I'm reminded of the Scripture from Matthew 6:34 (The Message).
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
I take a deep breath and say a prayer of thanksgiving to my Lord.
Thank you for the gift of today. Help me to not waste this day worrying about things and people I can't control. Help me to notice the child at school who needs a friend. Help me to be an encouragement to my co-workers. Help me to live a life of love since I know that Jesus loves me. Help me to treat this day as a gift.
How about you? Do you manage to get through your day attempting to accomplish all that's on your to-do list? Do you sometimes realize life is going by so fast that you're missing out on the beauty of the ordinary? Will you begin to think of each day as a gift?
Blessings and love,