The hot water rained down upon my face,
as my mind raced back and forth, back and forth,
over the schedule,
the to-do list,
over the tantrum just thrown at the store an hour before,
back and forth, back and forth
over the arguments had last night, late
and the fruit from the "school" lesson of this morning,
over the progress and the regressions,
over the failures and the forgiveness
(so much ground the mind can cover in such a short span).
And then...
STOP.
And He said,
Feel the warm water over your face.
Let your muscles relax as you stand in the shower
All by yourself.
Be aware of this moment.
This moment that you are given.
Are you here?
Or are you in the past?
In the future?
Are you lamenting or dreaming?
Or can you just be still...
Feeling.
Thanking.
Being.
And I realize...
Being present in the moment makes me so much more aware of the little gifts
He leaves me,
Day in and day out.
And no longer do I wish to miss them,
The simple pleasures that nourish the soul.
Linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose
and
Dayle for Simple Pleasures.
Living in the moment, so beautiful and sometime so elusive. Almost like a spiritual discipline. There are so many soul nourishing moments that I let pass me by each day….
ReplyDeleteLove this! So often I'm thinking ahead and forget to notice and be thankful for what I have now. One of these days I would love to start a gratitude journal like Ann Voskamp talks about.
ReplyDeleteStefanie
A great reminder ... funny how we need to be reminded to be aware from time to time! Some, like me, more often.
ReplyDeleteThis is just beautiful! When we are in the moment, we feel so centered.
ReplyDeleteI pray that everything worked out today Jen. And that the new day was better than the one before.
Oh man... this made me want to dance in the rain, that is, if we ever get some more around these parts!! Such beautiful imagery.
ReplyDeleteOh Jen. This is so beautiful. Little gifts left only in this moment....and how often we miss them because we are focused in the past or the future. So glad you heard this from Him today.... This touched my heart so. <3
ReplyDeleteIt seems like my mind is always ahead of itself. As soon as I do this...then I'll do that... I need reminded to treasure the simple -- which is usually the most profound.
ReplyDeletethanks for the breath of fresh air, being in the moment makes all the difference in the world...and gratitude is a great habit to get into...and much easier when you are present...
ReplyDeleteMy kids (one in particular) used to drive me crazy with the amount of time he spent in the shower. And yet, I know how healing, soothing, and refreshing that time kind be, just being present to the water, the steam, the peace.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about the 'shower', God and I have lots of meetings, as the one gal said, spiritual disapline!
ReplyDeleteHey, I know I don't want to be a squeeky wheel but I have yet to receive the remainder, I am in hopes they sent it right to you. If not, let me know, thought of this in the middle of the night.
Love, Marlece
Why is it so tough to live in the now? Even if I'm sitting, I planning or rethinking, and not just being.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful reminder of living in the moment. I do love my showers too!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Jen.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking all the way through that this was your simple pleasure, and I was right.
*sigh*. I think I need to take a shower. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely! What a great reminder of a simple pleasure. To be present, in the moment. Plus, this made me want to take a hot shower and just listen to Him.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful. And how much grace that finds you even in the mundane of a shower. The perfect place to be and rest in his arms.
ReplyDeleteI could feel all your emotions, and it is a discipline to be in the now. Dr. Paul Conn, my college president, used to always say, "Wherever you are, be there." It has stayed with me through the years, but it's not always easy to put into practice.
ReplyDeletegood call! love this. and love how you kept me reading all. the. way. to. the end.
ReplyDeletesimple pleasures - I am learning by His grace - to see those and give thanks. Stopping by from Emily's - your name caught my attention b/c my first friend EVER has/had the same name. :)
ReplyDeleteSo beautifully said...your poetry is very moving and says so much in a short space. Loved it.
ReplyDelete~Jean
Hi Jen. thanks for the reminder. We need to grab onto those moments with both hands. It makes it easier to get through the rest of the rush, I mean day.
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Tracy
Beautiful, like the water refreshing one in the shower, your words are so true.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly new to reading your blog regularly. So appreciated reading this, early this morning ... helped me to get my perspective as there are many things on my mind. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI've just started to practice being aware of God's presence on a moment-by-moment basis (with Ashley over at L.I.F.E.) This post totally resonated with me! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHave found it too.. as you say, being present in the moment makes us so much more aware of the little gifts He leaves us.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful thoughts.
If only everyone could come to this realization. One of my favorite quotations is "Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere." So much better to live in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or pondering the future. To just be in the here and now is a wonderful thing and you said it beautifully. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy
ReplyDeleteLOVE this. I do all my crying in the shower. And a lot of praying, too. My secret is out.
ReplyDeletethis is great Jen ... a shower moment is so calming!! ...letting all the cares slip away down the plug hole .... well sort of anyway :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jen,
ReplyDeleteWhat you say is so true. We get so caught up with the daily process of life that the Moments are not noticed.A soothing shower and a soothing moment--- beautiful.
God Bless
Barb from
Australia
jen, what a beautiful, poignant post... to be.in.this.moment. yes. yes. this is eternal life... for the moment never ends...
ReplyDeleteJen, I think this is a lesson God has to teach me again and again and again and again, LOL! Thank you for the reminder to enjoy the things right in front of me! Love you Jen!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Jen!
ReplyDeleteThe present moment - a sweet gift to be opened slowly.
Beautiful thoughts and beautifully written.
Thank you!
blessings..Trish
simply, beautifully put. I love it :)
ReplyDeletehere from Heart and Souls, link and well this is just beautiful! wow!
ReplyDeleteI need a shower!
ReplyDeleteThis is just beautiful... It reminded me of the day I accepted the Lord. It was in the shower. I wouldn't say this to just anyone but obviously you understand that sometimes that's where the Lord quiets you down so you can hear Him! :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Debbie
The moment is all we have. How wonderful to live fully in it.
ReplyDeleteI live in the past some days, and long for the future on others. I want to learn to live in the moment, "fully living". I don't want to miss anything.
ReplyDelete