change of heart

change of heart

I have a pretty long commute into work each day… it begins on the dirt gravel road I live on wayyyy out in the country near long lake… in the very heart of the michigan mitten… it is beautiful, lots of corn fields, bean fields, farmlands… my travels take me along some beautiful small town countryside scenery…

today, I was running a bit late and didn’t have much time to consider the scenery… that was... until a beautiful rottweiler-breedish dog dashed across the road in front of me and went diving into a ditch alongside the corn stalks… he was running strange; with a sort of limp movement… I thought, "oh no, he’s been hit"… I slowed down, placed the car in reverse,backed up, and turned down the dirt road he dashed toward… I called to him… i was going to try and get him in the car and drive him/find his home… he began hobbling down the road and I followed slowly behind… after a mile we came upon a house where he was greeted by two dotsons… surely they knew him! two boys greeted me and told me he belonged to them… I asked about his legs, and they told me he had been in a tractor accident a couple weeks ago and now runs with the limp movement… I felt very sad for him… he was beautiful and sweet… before i left, he came up to my window… gave me a sweet kiss and a nod and bid me farewell… a sort of thank you jester… he was still a young dog, but very large beautiful frame… I was glad he was home… i waved at the boys and went on my way down the dirt road...

"Drama!" I thought to myself… not what I need when I am already running late and need to get into work… and!!! I really needed coffee… ugghhh… I considered avoiding the starbucks ritual this morning due to the dog drama events so early on into the trip…

As I approached the city, I decided that I would just breeze through starbucks afterall… glad I did… I love that little bit of joy I get from that beautiful skinny hazelnut latte… and the nice person at the window… normally a very pleasant experience, quick, and i have my tackling fuel for the day… all is good…

I turn the street… thinking that i need to make up a few more seconds due to the coffee detour… "hurry… hustle people… get going" … I look ahead… police cars come into view... they're blocking the road… "oh brother" I think to myself… "more drama!!!"

Cars merge single file… as I get closer to the commotion my heart begins to sink… the minivan left it’s front end in the back end of the pickup truck it collided into… the entire front of the van was mutilated… the police standing outside the van, driver’s side door open… driver in front seat lying forward; hovered over onto the dash… no life on mars… very sad… I said a prayer, lifting the victim to God’s grace… my heart sinks further… I’ve an epiphany… a change of heart… as I am reminded…

Life is short… we waste so much of our time and days hustling and bustling on our race to/from work… we pass by the dog and let him fend for himself… we pass our neighbors without offering a smile, handshake, or simple hello… we hurry to get there; skipping the beloved latte and greetings of our coffeehouse friends to avoid the “late” stigma… we avoid the detours; with all hopes of avoiding the accidents so we can run into our buildings and sit at our computers… to desks positioned with our backs facing the exterior of our cubicle entrances… no conversation… no greetings… no communication but for this box and keyboard that becomes our life…

Life is too short… that person’s life was cut short… it can happen at any moment…

I log in, check my email, launch the web to enjoy the scenery of the tour de france as I bring up the streaming video online for the race… I sip my delicious latte… I write this note to you…

... I send each of you a this note of hope... that God bless you and grant you the notion to take a moment too… reflect… smile… live your life… love one another… take a moment to acknowledge your life… for it too shall pass… life is not a race, but a road that has many turns with opportunities to stop once in a while and take in the scenery… any-witch-way… so... slow down… help others… greet… love… live.

Love wins.
:)*
jillY