Stop and Smell the Roses
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:9, 10, NIV
As a working mother of two young girls, my busiest, most stressful time of the day is not during office hours, but between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m., when I'm trying to bathe, dress, feed, and transport all of us to where we need to be on time.
One day Diana, my eldest, reminded me of one of life's simple lessons. Diana has cerebral palsy and is mentally disabled. Although she was 8 years old at the time, she functioned more as a 3- or 4-year-old.
After dropping my youngest at school, I was already running five minutes late as I whizzed Diana to her baby-sitter. I was hurrying up the sidewalk when Diana stopped and said in her singsong voice, "Mom, do you hear that?" Still trying to prod her along, I said, "What is it? I don't hear anything. Come on, come on, let's go!" She wasn't budging just yet.
"The birdies. Don't you hear the birdies, Mommy? Where are they?"
Realizing I wouldn't get her moving unless I showed her where the birds were singing, I pointed them out to her in a nearby tree. I grabbed her wrist again to hurry her along, but she continued her leisurely stroll. She turned to the array of spring flowers blooming along the baby-sitter's front walk. "Which flower do you like best, Mom?"
With a sigh I gave up trying to make a quick exit. Finally, realizing the innocence with which Diana was enjoying the morning (oblivious to my need for speed), I answered, "I like the purple ones best. Which ones do you like?"
"I like the yellow ones and the pink ones and the white ones and the orange ones . . ." She continued listing colors through the rainbow. Finally we made it up the walk and I got to work about 10 minutes late, but with a much brighter outlook on my day, having been reminded to "stop and smell the roses."
And what more beautiful rose is there than the life of a child?
Have you stopped to smell the roses today?
As a working mother of two young girls, my busiest, most stressful time of the day is not during office hours, but between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m., when I'm trying to bathe, dress, feed, and transport all of us to where we need to be on time.
One day Diana, my eldest, reminded me of one of life's simple lessons. Diana has cerebral palsy and is mentally disabled. Although she was 8 years old at the time, she functioned more as a 3- or 4-year-old.
After dropping my youngest at school, I was already running five minutes late as I whizzed Diana to her baby-sitter. I was hurrying up the sidewalk when Diana stopped and said in her singsong voice, "Mom, do you hear that?" Still trying to prod her along, I said, "What is it? I don't hear anything. Come on, come on, let's go!" She wasn't budging just yet.
"The birdies. Don't you hear the birdies, Mommy? Where are they?"
Realizing I wouldn't get her moving unless I showed her where the birds were singing, I pointed them out to her in a nearby tree. I grabbed her wrist again to hurry her along, but she continued her leisurely stroll. She turned to the array of spring flowers blooming along the baby-sitter's front walk. "Which flower do you like best, Mom?"
With a sigh I gave up trying to make a quick exit. Finally, realizing the innocence with which Diana was enjoying the morning (oblivious to my need for speed), I answered, "I like the purple ones best. Which ones do you like?"
"I like the yellow ones and the pink ones and the white ones and the orange ones . . ." She continued listing colors through the rainbow. Finally we made it up the walk and I got to work about 10 minutes late, but with a much brighter outlook on my day, having been reminded to "stop and smell the roses."
And what more beautiful rose is there than the life of a child?
Have you stopped to smell the roses today?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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