This week I took several walks with Melody. Slow walks.
REALLY slow walks. We barely made
it from the house. But, that is her speed in her braces and equipment. I know she’ll get faster, but she’ll always
move slowly. We saw every car that went
by, every bird, every flower, and every plant.
We listened to the noise our feet made on the sidewalk, rocks and metal
drain covers. We talked and laughed and
didn’t accomplish a thing on my to-do list.
How often do I live this simply?
Savor each little moment? Not
often enough.
Yesterday I took a few kids to the park and while we were
playing tennis, we noticed a baseball game going on. It soon brought tears to my eyes when I saw
players in wheelchairs and began to notice other players with special
needs. Each one had a helper with
them. Every play was slower, every
accomplishment was celebrated, and I never saw anyone called out. It was slower, simpler. I never heard or saw a parent screaming at
their kid. I saw a TON of
encouragement. The umpires were cheered and encouraged as they encouraged the players.
Simplicity seems to be a buzz word lately. We all wonder how we could simplify our
lives. Yet, what are the things that make us slow down? Savor more.
Rush less? Often it is when we are FORCED to move slower and
savor more. When a tragedy causes us to consider life more sacredly.
I’m convinced that God made special people with special gifts
for just this reason. To slow us down
and help us see life from a different perspective. Anyone who knows such a special person will tell you how that person has influenced their life and
allowed them to see things from a different perspective.
This is one of the many reasons the astronomically high
abortion rates of children with birth “defects” horrifies me. What we have labeled a defect is the exact
thing we spend our lives searching for.
We wonder why we can’t live simply, but we have devalued those that
do. Those that can help us learn to
enjoy living more slowly, simply.
Perhaps the ones who are living, REALLY LIVING, are the ones
our society has said have lives that aren’t worth living.
Maybe those who live simply aren't so simple after all. Maybe the reason God made them isn't so simple after all. It might just be one of the most complex reasons of all.
