Some experiences are priceless. Can you remember the first time you rode a bicycle? When I do the excitement, fear, and rush are flooding my senses all over again. Do you recall the first time your drawings went up on the board for others to see? The list of potential firsts and our emotional baggage is something I treasure. It is good to think back and remember.
There are certain activities that introduce your to a whole new type of living. My first funeral trigger a real appreciation for living in the present, appreciating the role others play in my life, and I in theirs. I do not recall the specific situation, but I do know that my first blatant lie introduced me to a whole new way of rationalized thinking. The list goes on; the first kiss, the first drive alone in a car, the first serious wreck, and the first night completely alone. Each experience triggered a new way of looking at life, even if I did not realize it at the time.
I find myself slowing a bit these days. It is not as if I am becoming less competitive; unfortunately, this is something I have not been able to let go of completely. I am taking the time to stop and tell someone that I value their work, picking out something I know is important to them and to me. When someone calls in the middle a meeting that I can put on hold, I stop and take time to just talk and listen. If I sense God's whisper about someone I know, it is time to pray in whatever way I possibly can. Everything is fair game; kids homework, the request in the middle of taxes to play a game of basketball, coming home and just listening to one of the girls recount their day. Experiences that come without a price tag.
Do you want to experience the Divine? “Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person.” (Proverbs 3.27) This is your chance.
