Stream of life

I was taking my grandkids on a hike today and we walked along a stream. It was so refreshing listening to the bubbling and gurgling of the water as it rushed past. My grandkids age 8, 6, and 4 were drawn back to the stream  every time the trail took us past a rock beach near enough for them to stoop down and put their hands into the cool spring runoff water. Some flowers were dropped in and suddenly became boats racing out of their sight then swept into an eddie swirling around almost stopping then rushing on to the next branch or rock before slowing it's pace.

How often are we like that flower rushing about just doing. Our lists getting longer and longer and the "To Do's" never getting all done. We ask one another "how are you doing?"  Do we really take the time to find out how they really are, to listen to the struggles and joys they are experiencing? Are we taking the time to be friends, to be community, to be family? Our society puts a heavy emphasis on the busyness, the doing to show our importance. We need to put on the brakes sometimes and stop the doing and start being. We are human beings not human doings.

The stream we followed had it's places where it was rushing but then there also were times that were broad, shallow and slower. That is were the life is, the minnows, water bugs and water flowers. Because of the demands of life we need to rush from time to time but real life is in the slow, restful places. Take time and smell the roses, time to show a four year old a spider web and invite God to bring more life into your time.