One of my favorite things about retired life is the mornings. Generally they don’t involve an alarm clock or the frantic activity of trying to get ready to go somewhere. They are slow, quiet and a little lazy. They involve tea or coffee and usually some introspection. Time to be quiet…to be still…to pray…to think.
I had a dear woman in my life for many years that I admired greatly. She was my mother’s cousin, but she felt more like an aunt to me. She was a strong Christian woman who truly walked in Christ’s footsteps. I watched her, and aspired to be like her. Whenever I needed a helping hand in my mother’s care, I could count on her. She lived a few hours away, but she would drop everything and come for the week to help me out. When I had surgery, she was there to care for my mom, cook and clean, while I recuperated. Whenever my mom had a hospitalization, she would come to be at her bedside, so I could get some rest. She was not a perfect woman. She could talk your ear off. She had strong opinions about cooking. And she had a great affinity for the color orange. As in Oklahoma State orange. And once, on her way back to Oklahoma she stopped at the local winery for some tasting, and ended up stopping at the next McDonalds for coffee before she could continue down the road! That still makes me smile. She became a role model for me. The Christian woman I most wanted to be like. She was real. She was my Billie June.
One thing she did every single day was to start the day with her devotion time. This was something I aspired toward, but was always too rushed to manage. Normally talkative, she would sit quietly with one of her many bibles open in front of her, meditating on God’s word, quietly applying it to her own life. Being still. With retirement I am finding this easier to accomplish. I cannot say I am as faithful as she was in this, but I am trying. And it feels wonderful, this quiet peace in the morning. Reading, reflecting, praying. It feeds my soul. It is an added blessing in this situation that I never expected.
~Marla
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