New days filled with new mercies, new opportunities, and new perspectives. My temptation, my approach to my days, in the past was to “hit the ground running” and accomplish as much as possible. I may have hit that mark; I wish I could remember. What I remember, is the empty feeling at the end of each day.
These days, I start more slowly, lingering in God’s presence and inviting Him to set the tone and the pace for my day, to establish my priorities and reshape the day according to His goodness and good purposes. And, these days, I am certain I hit my mark and no longer wrestle with those empty feelings. Instead, I cherish the end of the day. I remember more of my days and more from my days.
These days, I choose to linger along the way. Not just at the beginning, but in the middle of the morning, in the afternoon, just before evening. I choose to pause and to pray. I choose to breathe. I choose to check in with myself--with my mind, my body, my soul. I choose to check in with God. And to align my heart with His, for the umpteenth time in a single day.
I find this way of living, of being, helps take the burden off of me to perform. I no longer feel compelled to flit and dash and hurry about trying to prove myself worthy according to ambiguous standards.
God has made me worthy by His doing, not mine. Now I am free to follow the path He has set before me. I am free to linger and to notice the beauty that surrounds me. I am free to rest and enjoy my days as the gifts they truly are.
