Have you ever been eating a delicious meal and five minutes later you look down shocked to see it's gone and you're like "woah, when did I finish my meal?!" Maybe that's only happened to me. I'm still going to tell you this story anyways.
Earlier tonight I was eating at Village Inn after a long, hard day of school (I was on campus from 10:30-8pm). Obviously, I'm starving because all I've had to eat was a southern chicken wrap that was surprisingly good for on-campus food, but there wasn't much of it. So I got myself the strawberry crepe combo and guys, it was soooo good! The bacon was crispy and seasoned to perfection. The hash browns were light and tasty and they were browned just right. And don't even get me started on the crepes. The mixture of cream cheese and strawberry wrapped inside the little golden crepes was so great and it sent my taste buds dancing. I imagine the angels will be serving this meal in Heaven someday.
I was eating like it was my last meal before a long fast. I wasn't even thinking about it. I was shoving food into my mouth as fast as I could. I wanted all the flavor I could possibly get and I wanted it right now. I ate the food as if I thought it would disappear if I didn't eat it fast enough. It was so good and I didn't want it to end.
Then I looked down. And it was over.
Over already?! No! I was just getting started! It seemed unreal that all that food could be gone so fast. For a second I thought maybe I didn't eat the food. But the food baby in my stomach reminded me otherwise. It was good. I know it was good. But I felt like I didn't truly savor the experience. I didn't slow down to enjoy what was happening. It was so good but I didn't allow myself time to enjoy it. Before I knew it, it was over and all that was left was the memory of how amazing it was. But I couldn't even remember because I didn't take the time. I wished I would have savored each bite just a little bit longer and appreciated how good the food really was.
Then the thought occurred to me. How often does that happen to us in real life? Life is good, my friends. But truth is, we miss out on its goodness. Often times, we get so busy with our daily routines that we don't slow down and take time to really enjoy life. Think about all the activities you're involved in and everything you have going on during this time in your life. Do you ever step back and just examine life? I find myself doing that more often now days.
I remember senior night of football my senior year of high school. There was so much going on; the cheerleaders were shouting "what's that you say?!", the crowd was cheering intensely, the boys were on the field playing with every ounce of strength they had for their last game, the band was playing the school song, and the drum line was rocking out with crowd. My brain was overheated with all the visual and audible stimuli in that stadium. It was one of the greatest nights of my life. And I had to step back. I stopped everything I was doing to just...stand there. Look at the crowd. Look at the smiles on everyone's face. Hear the excitement; the stomping of feet, the clapping of hands. I wanted to soak it all in. Why? Because it was the only time I would ever have an experience like that. I wanted to truly focus on how amazing that night was. I took a mental snapshot of the night with a note attached to it saying 'don't forget this night because it'll be one of your best high school memories". And it is to this day.
How sad it is that we get so involved with stuff and don't truly enjoy it. Instead, we get stressed out by it. College sucks at times and classes can be a real drag. But when will you ever have this opportunity again? Never again will you get to live in real college dorms with your best friend as a roommate and people you know within walking distance. My friend Allison is pretty good at reminding me why college is so cool. We went to Starbucks one day and she said to me "We are doing homework with our Starbucks coffees, in sweatpants, on a Tuesday night, while skipping our night classes. This is college. I feel like I'm in college". In that moment, even though she was loaded with hours of homework, she stepped back and appreciated the moment for what it was. An experience she'll never get back.
I urge you guys, next time you feel stressed, down, or overloaded with stuff. Take a step back and enjoy the moment you're in right now. I guarantee you'll feel uplifted. God's got you where He wants you right now and is with you in every moment of the day. Stepping back to appreciate the life you have is like saying thank you to God for giving you this life. Take a moment to appreciate the roommates you have, the sport your involved in, the house/dorm you live in, the job you have, the classes you're taking, the events you've gone to, the family you're blessed with, and the car you have. You only get one chance to perform that opera, to go on that random adventure, to play in that big game, and sing in that show.
Soak up the moment. Form the memory. Because before you know it, it'll be gone. Just like a strawberry crepe.
"People can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..." Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
Welcome to Truth Be Told!
It's been a huge blessing to have so many people read these blog entries. With a passion for writing, I felt it laid on my heart to use my life, with all of it's ups and downs, to relate to others and help them with whatever they may be going through. My prayer is that God will speak to you through my writing, just like he has spoken to me. Although many of my blogs contain personal information and opinions (my life is an open book), I seek to only write what I know to be true - revelations that have been made to me from God through his word and Spirit :) As I have stated in many of my blog entries before, I am not perfect, nor do I claim to be "holier than thou" or "have it all together". Anyone that knows me would tell you that I am far from that. I'll be the first to tell you that I am a horrible, messed up human being who would be nothing without the grace of God. So all the thanks to him, for using my life to help others and further his kingdom :) I am just a messenger, my friends! Enjoy these entries, be challenged by them, and use them to grow closer to God.
Love,Lottie
Gosh! This is so true and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I need to take just a moment and enjoy where I am and what I'm doing every once in a while. I just go through life and get things done as fast as I can just so I can move on to the next thing. Thank you so much for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog posts because they always seem to really apply to me. You are an amazing writer! Keep it up Lottie!!