Pausing in the Pace

 Despite the fact I long for corn field fence lines,  egg laying chickens running about, and the luxury of not having to protect my privacy with closed blinds, town living is slowly growing on me.  It has it's perks.

We are a moments drive from school,  a quick grocery store stop for last minute whims, and (unfortunately...or fortunately?) Culver's custard beckons us to it's drive thru window far too often.

One of the things I have grown to especially appreciate about being in town is the variety of running routes.  Somehow I have become a runner which is a shock to my middle-school self who use to fake just about any illness to avoid running the dreaded mile in gym class.  Now I do it voluntarily, regularly, and have added it to the list of life's many mysteries.

The other day I was running along one of my favorite and very familiar routes.  As I wound along the river from the ridge above bursting and brilliant in it's vibrant fall colors I sensed the urge to pause;  to stop.  It wasn't the first time this thought had crossed my mind.  Multiple times over the past few weeks, I had briefly entertained the thought to stop and take in the beauty I was racing past.  As quickly as it crossed my mind each time,  I allowed it to exit.

 After all, I was trying to keep pace. 

The other morning in the middle of my run I decided to actually pause.  It was brief, a few full slow breathes as I took the time to be in the moment and not run through it.  It was one of those moments where time seemed to stand still.  It was full of beauty and perspective, a glimpse of the way my soul was intended to be.

Naturally, in this age of smart phone everything, my "pause" also included a picture.

That brief moment on my run seemed to hold power over my thoughts that day and as I began to process it  I realized  pause was missing in my day to day life.  In all it's  laundry folding, dish washing, kid chasing glory,  I often treat life as though I am on a run, trying to keep pace.  My assumption is this will bring health, happiness, and a sense of accomplishment as I loosely hold onto the hope that when I finally do stop, the beauty will still be there.  It might be, but what will I miss along the way, head down, pushing through, determined to keep the pace as beauty flashes by?  I am not willing to find out. 

I have been more intentional this week to occasionally break from my pace.  I have paused and watched my kids giggle and play.   I have taken the time to genuinely smile at and acknowledge those around me. I have purposely watched and wondered at the steam rising from the top of my coffee.  It may not seem like much, but it's these little moments of pause that seem to be bringing about in me a spirit of thankfulness this season.  For me, thankfulness often leads to praise and praise to joy. 

So today, I am thankful for breaking the pace and pausing on that crisp autumn morning to take in the beauty that surrounded me, opening my eyes to that which already exists.   Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God....."