DId you ever have a brief moment of clarity?
That singular moment where you step out of your day-in, day-out routine to catch a rare glimpse at how your life is truly unfolding?
I had that on my birthday. May 15, 2011. The day I turned 42.
Surely this was a God-given gift where He showed with utmost clarity how my current life is way beyond what I could have ever dreamt for....how blessed my life really is...
...and that I am ignoring, and at risk of abandoning, all I have because I'm serving a vague notion of 'career advancement'...trying to impress important people with impressive titles.
Here's what I saw:
Our sunset chairs.
Empty.
Ready.
Waiting. (even the cat was waiting)
It was like the sunset chairs were speaking to me.
First they were blunt:
"Look at this beautiful patch of land, this home that you love! Listen to the music you create! Look at that amazing woman you married and those four terrific kids? Why are you ignoring all that?!? Why are they a 'distraction' to you? What about the reservoir behind those trees? Why haven't you had an adventure with your kids there lately? What's wrong with you!?!"
My response?
"I'm not happy. I'm worried about impressing people, fearing an uncertain future, and lost in a swirl of goals and aspirations that seem to be blocked by the current culture of our company. I've got a mortgage that won't quit, and I want to be accomplishing something important and I need to focus on that."
Then the sunset chairs sighed and used a more gentle voice.
"Sit down. Lets take a look at what's truly important that you're missing"
...and then I saw, clearly, like a film was lifted from my eyes, what I am missing that is truly important...
- Sunsets with my wife...
- Eagles soaring by...longing to be seen...
- Fog caressing the valley...
- Dew dropping from the leaves...
- Secrets shared between me and my daughters...young son...teenage son...wife...
- Hands held...
- Hearts mended...
- Family playing...
- Frisbees thrown...
- Baseballs caught...
- Campfires lit...
- Laughter echoing...
- Stories told...
- Devotions studied...
- Prayers lifted...
- Inspiration gained...
- Adventures started....
- Tears shed...and wiped...smiles returning...
- Love given...received...surrounding...
Then I asked, "But what about that mortgage, cars to maintain, monthly bills to pay?"
Their response?
"They are not seen from the Sunset Chairs. All that is behind you could grow, shrink, burn, cease to exist, be sold, traded, or moved to another country. What is truly important...what you need to focus on...is what you see...who you see...
...from the Sunset Chairs."
~~~~~~
How about you? What do you see from your Sunset Chairs?
