I like to walk in the early mornings. There’s a pond nearby with a walkway around it, and I usually do a loop or two around the pond at the beginning of my walk to see the sun peeking up on the horizon, and then I do another loop at the end of my walk to see the sun a little higher up as it shines on the water.
I see a lot of the same people out walking or riding their bikes. I smile and say good morning to the walkers, but I try to stay out of the way of the bikers as most of them ride like they’re in the Tour de France and I don’t want to get run over.
But this morning I smiled and waved to a biker I’ve seen frequently. She was riding her bike today the way she always does: leisurely, with a smile on her face, like it’s the best part of her day and she’s there to soak it all in. She’s an older woman, so the fact that she is out riding her bike first thing in the morning already makes me admire her, but today I observed her do something that made me admire her even more.
I was coming up toward the pond for my last loop at the end of my walk, and I noticed her up ahead of me parking her bike by a bench and sitting down on the bench to face the pond. The sun was behind her, and I assumed she was resting while watching the sun on the water.
I started on the loop around the pond, and as I reached the halfway point, I heard a noise out on the water and looked over to see the fountain in the middle of the pond just coming on. It’s set to come on at the same time each morning, but I don’t always get to see it as I’m usually finished with my walk by that time.
I enjoyed glancing at it as I kept walking, but then I looked past the fountain to notice the woman still sitting on the bench, now fully relishing the sight of the water, the sunshine reflections, and the fountain creating ripples in the middle of the pond. I continued to watch her as I walked, and she continued to sit and enjoy the sights from her bench.
Then it dawned on me that she’d sat down on the bench in the first place to wait for the fountain to come on. I also realized that she was just sitting and enjoying it; she wasn’t trying to get a good photo or video for Instagram as someone my age probably would've been doing (and probably what I would’ve done, to be honest). She was just doing what she does: soaking it all in.
By the way, I’ve sat on that bench she was sitting on before. I’ve seen the fountain coming on before. I’ve even seen the fountain from the bench as she was, but I’ve never sat down with the intention of waiting for the fountain to come on at just the right moment to witness those first few sprays of water and those first few ripples through the sun’s reflections across the pond.
I’m always in a hurry to finish my walk on time, get all my steps in, and get on with my day - like I’m on my own little Tour de France. (Maybe I’m a biker at heart and don’t realize it…?)
It made me think, “When was the last time I looked forward to something, and actually enjoyed looking forward to it?”
When was the last time I enjoyed waiting for something, even if it’s just waiting a few minutes for something small but yet something I find joy in?
I can say I definitely don’t wait for the bigger things like that - all peaceful and expectant, sitting on a bench with my hands folded in my lap and a smile on my face.
I wait for the bigger things more like the way I walk - keep moving, keep going, enjoy the sights on the way as you pass them but don’t stop unless stopping to take a photo for Instagram to “share the moment” about how beautiful it can be to wait on God. (Am I hitting too close to home? I’m hitting too close to home for me, so I realize I might be for you too. #sorrynotsorry)
This whole epiphany has come at just the right time for me because usually at this time of year, I’m feeling behind and regretful because I have so many things left on my to-do list for the year, and there’s so little time left to do them all. I usually go into “keep moving, keep going, enjoy the sights but don’t stop” mode and try to reorder my priorities to get things done so I feel good about my accomplishments at the end of the year.
I’m also in the midst of a waiting season, and I tend to push through waiting seasons in the same way so that I don’t “waste time.” (By the way, pushing through a waiting season by staying busy is different from obediently serving God and doing whatever He asks you to do as you wait.)
But how much joy am I getting out of that?
How much joy do I get in staying busy, staying productive, and completely missing the little moments of stillness with God?
I’m not where I want to be, I don’t enjoy feeling behind, I don’t enjoy waiting seasons that seem to stretch on forever, and yet, as I learned this morning on my walk, it’s really all about perspective, isn’t it?
Just the other day, I saw a post from someone who loves this time of year because, “There is so much to look forward to.”
That simple line really stuck with me because I definitely have the bad habit of “looking into my rear-view mirror” so to speak, instead of looking forward through the windshield of where God has me and where He’s taking me.
And as Christians, there is always so much to look forward to, isn’t there? God is working now, He will be working tomorrow, and one day we will spend eternity simply enjoying His presence and worshipping Him together.
He’s in the small moments just as much as He’s in the big moments, and learning to delight in those small moments with Him prepares us for the overwhelming joy of the bigger moments with Him.
Turning aside, sitting still, soaking it all in - even if we’re not where we want to eventually be - we’re making way for the bigger joys and delights because we’ve learned to find pleasure in the little joys and delights because we’ve learned that He is present in those moments and He loves to share them with us. It’s joy in His presence, whether we’re experiencing something big or small.
So it’s with this new perspective I’m walking into these last few months of the year, learning to look forward to experiencing God in the little moments while waiting to experience Him in bigger moments.
I’m looking at the little glimpses of God’s working right now, the little whispers of His plan for the future, the preparations He’s doing in my mind and heart now for what’s coming next, and as I take it all in, I can’t help but feel a little bit grateful to be “behind,” to be sitting instead of walking, to be waiting with expectancy instead of pushing past all the little moments - because all of this means I’m in a slow season with Him, not behind Him or ahead of Him - and I’m soaking it all in and allowing God to remind me that as hard as it is to wait, to obey, to train and prepare…
With Him, there is always so much to look forward to.
A few Scriptures I’ll be reflecting on as I learn to look forward with Him:
(Maybe you’d like to join me? Take a screenshot or copy these down so you don’t forget!)
John 15:3-5
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Philippians 1:6
Philippians 3:12-14
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Hi! I'm Abigail, your real-talk Christian life coach and faith mentor. I believe we're on this earth for a reason, and I LOVE helping people realize and live that truth so that they can reach their God-given potential in all areas of life.
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