[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]HEN I AM wailing and gnashing my teeth in utter frustration about something that has zero importance in all of eternity, my Texas sister will calmly say, “Think pretty fields of flowers; pretty fields of flowers; take deep breaths while looking far and wide.” In her sweet Southern drawl, her Field of Flowers monologue is always accompanied by her calm voice of reason. And her reasoning never ceases to cause me to bust out with crazy laughter.
Do you have a voice of reason in your life; one that brings almost instantaneous redirection and restoration of peace to your thoughts? You know, the kind of voice that:
- Carries with it a steady temperament regardless of life’s crazy twists and turns;
- Is able to momentarily divert your wild-thinking toward a place of rationality;
- That speaks real-life truths in such a way that you cannot help but bust out laughing although you are seriously annoyed;
- Saves you from slaying someone with your tongue, and then ending up in the proverbial orange jumpsuit that does not compliment your skin tone; or
- Prevents you from embarrassing yourself in the middle of Walmart, well, just because the observation of ridiculous human behavior can get incredibly perplexing?
Most of us have bad hair days that spiral into bad attitude days: Some days, even the best of preachers cannot seem to get the power of positive thinking to flourish. Something goes haywire within the first few hours of our day causing our thoughts to go spiraling down the dark well of “Oh, No!” From that moment forward, we cannot seem to adjust the sanity lever quick enough to bring our attitudes back into alignment with sweetness. It is really true that there is a time to tear and a time to mend.
On those days, try to remember that every pretty field of flowers experiences a season of barrenness. During the barren days, draw strength from knowing that the roots of your courage are still being nourished. Therefore, the pretty flowers of your attitude will bloom again. Consider practicing the power of silence. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak.
Most of us attempt the crazy-busy schedule that even the Super Sonic jet couldn’t navigate: When we forego the truth-filled principle of Life Balance in favor of the “get ‘er done yesterday” approach, we suffer from crazy-busy jet lag. Just like the traveling kind of jet-lag (when we try to move from Point A to Point Z faster than nature would normally allow) we will pay the Negative Consequences meter. That meter produces such profound negativity that we cannot seem to adjust the sanity lever quick enough to bring our words back into alignment with respect. Therefore, our words run over the feelings and needs of others, and we usually fail to even notice our behavior. It is really true that there is a time to kill and a time to heal.
On those days, try to remember that every pretty field of flowers experiences a season of overgrowth, especially when it’s being influenced by over-pollination. When this happens, it is tough to sustain the beauty of its overgrowth. During the overgrowth days of your Super-Sonic busy-ness, draw strength from your tenacity and perseverance. Therefore, the pretty flowers of your balanced choices will bloom again. Consider revisiting the valued results of your seasons of balanced living. There is a time to tear down and a time to build up.
Most of us have days when we drive too fast in creating a lasting life legacy of purpose: When we focus too harshly on the end goal and forget the value in the precious moments of today, we suffer from self-imposed unrealistic expectations. Soaring expectations have a way of leading us down the dreary paths of utter frustration, nasty irritation, and ridiculous aggravation. From that moment forward, we cannot seem to adjust the sanity lever quick enough to bring our thoughts back into alignment with patience. It is really true that there is a time to plant and a time to harvest.
On those days, try to remember that every pretty field of flowers experiences a season of planting, watering, flourishing, and harvesting. In between the process of each action, there are reasonable expectations for results. In this tried and true pattern of reaping results, the planting and watering will generally lead to flourishing and harvesting – when coupled with the correct tending. Therefore, the pretty flowers of your legacy investments will bring forth the desired fruit within your Master plan. Consider seeking rest in your plan; for your Master plan is greater in its power than any one day or season of your life’s effort. There is a time to be born and a time to die.
Summarizing this Pretty Field of Flowers
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. It is easier to enjoy the pretty field of flowers each day when we consider our lives in the greater scheme of all of life’s creations. Within the beautiful landscape of each of our lives, there are built-in places to walk, run, soar, and even to rest. There are also times to love and times to despise; times for war and times for peace.
What if we each chose to begin and end each day with visions of our own pretty field of flowers? For within each field there is great promise. This promise is all about walking out the individual journey of purpose. Each of us can do this with the joy of pretty fields of flowers in our hearts, or with the striving that accompanies self-willed behavior and unreasonable expectations.
It is really true that there is a time to search and a time to quit searching. Some things in life are already ordained before the foundations of the earth. What if we rested in the things that are already ordained, and purposefully chose to enjoy the pretty field of flowers that is called, Our Everyday Lives?
Copyright 2016. Devaney Rae, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved
Thanks for joining the conversation, Jane Anderson. Seeking rest is a real quality of life “secret”. 🙂
I appreciate your article and the encouragement to enjoy our moments. I read the book, The Land Between by Jeff Manion just after my daughter passed away. Some of what you wrote here reminded me of things I read in his book. And your ‘seeking rest’ is something we all feel guilty of. Rest is not a guilty pleasure, it should just be pleasure.