A TIME TO BE STILL

 

Man, those tree shadows sure are long, and it’s the middle of the day!

I was recently in the woods hunting all day, which is fairly common for me this time of year, when I noticed these incredibly long shadows. Being in the woods before sunrise allows time for me to slow my whole life down. It’s where I like to slow down my thoughts and only focus on the here and now. It’s also the only place where I’m able to do this, and believe me, I don’t take it for granted. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also thinking about whatever game I’m hunting at that moment, but the rest of the world feels like a galaxy far, far away. When I’m in the moment, I notice bushes that look like a deer, birds fluttering by my head that startle the daylights out of me, and a bird of prey silently gliding through the trees looking for its next meal.

Sometimes, like this particular day, there really wasn’t much to notice. There was minimal wildlife activity and the bushes looked like…bushes. However, being in the here and now allowed me to notice the ridiculously long shadows in the middle of the day. In the middle of a hot summer day, the shadows from trees are a lot smaller and don’t give much relief from the heat. But, when I could have used a little warmth, there wasn’t much coming from the sun because it was having a hard time getting much higher than the tree tops to the south.

In the upper Midwest we are deep into fall, and winter is just around the corner. The sun rises later than in the summer months, and sunset feels like it’s only a few hours behind. In the middle of summer, there is plenty of daylight to perform any activity outside for 16 plus hours. Life can feel so busy trying to fit it all in during that time.

But now, in the late fall and winter, there isn’t much daylight left after work. Sometimes that may feel like a bummer, but it can also be a really good time to slow down and be in the moment. A time to focus or re-focus on things that may have been pushed to the side during the summer busyness; a time for us to glide silently through the tree shadows of life.

 

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.