Slow Down And Wake Up

Have you ever awakened in the middle of the night and felt a little anger because you were pulled from a really great dream? It’s happened to me a number of times. You try your best to fall back asleep quickly, hoping you can resume the dream where it left off. However, that rarely happens. It is virtually impossible to resume a dream or re-create a wonderful experience. Great dreams and wonderful experiences are gifts of the moment. The best ones you never see coming. I am reminded of a special morning I once had. My wife and I were the guests of some friends who have a home on Cumberland Lake. Everyone but me was sleeping in. Since I am an early riser I got out of bed as soon as there was some daylight. I got dressed, made some coffee, and headed outdoors. It was a cool, autumn morning. The surrounding landscape was beautiful with leaves at their peak fall colors. I sat in a chair on the side of a hill overlooking the lake. Mist covered the water. The only sound was occasional birdsong and the distance roar of an early morning boater. I sat there in silence and stillness with my coffee mug warming my hands. The sun slowly rose over the hill on the other side of the lake. The light shone through the trees as it slowly burned the mist off the lake. I was totally lost on the moment and felt one with God and the universe. The moment was as perfect as a moment could be. Here’s where it gets tricky. I could never have planned such a moment. Such moments appear without warning and you simply have to be awake and aware enough to be present to them. If I had attempted to replicate this moment the following morning, it would not have been the same. So, slow down and wake up. Life is full of such moments but most of us miss them most of the time. We are too busy being in a hurry to do others things. We often miss the best moments of our lives.