Where did it go?

A long long time ago,
in a galaxy far far away.

You wake up one day and realize that much of your life has flown by.  Where did it go?  Who was I 10 years ago?  20?  30?  How can I grasp what used to be?

And then I realize, in many ways, I was the same then as I am now.  I watched TV shows that I enjoyed.  I loved my family.  I loved to work.  I loved to fix things.  I loved a good sunset, the waves on the beach, the redwood trees.  I loved bicycles and cars.  Im not really that different than I used to be.

But if there is a difference, I think I could say that I am now paying more attention than I used to.  I am paying more attention to others.  I say thank you more. I look people in the eye more.  I try to leave each human encounter a little better.  I don't always succeed at this, but I am aware of it and I want to leave a residue of grace wherever I go.

As Mel Gibson's wife said in the movie Signs, "you have to see."  Well, we don't have to see, but I hope that as we grow older, we will make the conscious choice to see.  To see every landscape, every person, every moment, every thought.  Every breath.  They are all life's miracles.

Where did it go?  It is still here.  May I, may we pay more attention to it than we used to.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.