One of my favorite things to do is to take an hour drive to Galveston by myself from time to time. This morning was a gorgeous morning to do just that. As I unloaded my bike and began to ride along the Seawall, the first thing I noticed was a flock of pelicans flying by. I thought they were amazing! I continued riding and just soaked in the smell of the ocean.
As I rode a little further, other people were riding bikes and walking. I noticed that the people I passed looked pleasant and most all of them returned my "Good Morning!" I didn't ride much further until I came across a man and his little girl. She looked to be about a year and a half old. They had just stepped out of their car and the little girl started pointing at the waves and saying "oooh-oooh-oooh". I slowed my bike down and watched her excitement of the ocean. She kept pointing and ooohing and looking from the ocean up to her dad and back to the ocean.
I rode on with that image in my mind. Oh, to have the innocence and the wonder of a one year old. She thought the waves were magnificent! Why can't we see things with that new-ness? I realize that we can't point to things and say "oooh-oooh-oooh"; people might find us strange. But it seems to me that we can have that same internal excitement and appreciate so much more than we generally do.
Sometimes it's easy for us to get caught up in the "every day, same bad news, the world's got troubles" mind-set.
We can change a lot of things; need to lose weight? Eat right and exercise. Want to earn a better paycheck? Do what it takes to meet the qualifications.
There are huge amounts of things that we cannot change. I can't change the fact that thousands of people are without homes because of the recent tornadoes. I can't change the fact that there are horrible dictators in other countries. I certainly can't change the fact that I am only 5'1 and will never be any taller :)
What I can do is enjoy what is in front of me. Enjoy the little details of my life. I get to go to sleep in a comfy bed with a ceiling fan above me that keeps me at just the right temperature. I get to peek in on my kids while they are still sleeping in the mornings. Today, I even got to take a drive to the beach and look out at the ocean in awe of the majesty of God's creation!
So, I leave you with this....Change what you can, pray for what you can't...and enjoy what is here. Live life to the fullest!
