Taking Time

Have you ever stopped to think? Have you ever stopped to see? Have you ever stopped to listen? This morning my family and I were on the road at about 6:15 which is not unusual. This morning was different though. As we left the house, I noticed the full moon just above the horizon to our left. My wife commented how beautiful it was. It was "big" with a yellow glow. As we continued our journey, we had changed directions so that it was now directly in front of us. As we came up a hill, it looked as if we could drive to the moon. It was an incredible sight. The reason I mention this is because we have made this trip most mornings for the last several months. Today was different. Have we been so pre-occupied in our daily running and doing that we haven't seen it before? Or, has it just not been there? Sadly, the moment passed as our conversation resumed and the moon "disappeared". I have thought about that a lot this morning. What are we missing? I see my family everyday, but I may be overlooking parts of the day because of other events that cast huge shadows or maybe "outshine" the joy we have. I personally haven't "seen" the beauty that fills this house for a bit of time because of "life". "Life" is the daily to do lists of updating our website, advertising, paying bills, taking out the trash, and other such tasks that occupy our time. That has made me stop to think, see, and listen. Tonight I plan to surprise my wife and kids with a night out. Putting "life" to the side so we can live. I plan to "see" my family and all of the joy, warmth, and hope they offer. I'm also making time to listen to all of the great stories that have to be told about school, friends, and all of the other meaningful events of the day that influence the ones I love. Life is too short not to live it. I plan to redirect my motivations of living to work into working to live. I love my wife and kids and do not want to miss anymore time together. A quick sidenote: when my wife and I were dating, we would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning just talking...It made it hard to be at work before 8AM. We are now self-employed and busier than before. So, I ask you again...DO YOU SEE THE MOON? Take the time to think about this, to see what you're missing, and to listen to the ones who make your life complete. May God bless you and keep you safe in all that you do. Pray for the ones you can't help and help the ones you can. Thank you for reading.