I went out to my brother’s place the other day to do a little work in preparation for the Labor Day Weekend. We have a family cookout planned, and the property needed a little straightening up before everyone rolls in. I started out early in the morning because it has been hotter than donut grease here in Central Texas and I just can’t handle the heat like I used to.
I was going over a “to do” list in my head as I walked through the barn to slide open the back door. Opening the door, a cool breeze rolled in and slapped me in the face. Not a hard slap, but hard enough to get my attention. It felt great and it made me pause for a second and appreciate the breeze. I stood there for a few moments with my eyes closed, just taking in the unexpected gift.
The sky was a crisp, cloudless blue. I am not going to call it a spiritual moment, but it was enough to make me reach over, unfold a chair leaning against the wall, and sit down for a while.
For the next thirty minutes or so, I just sat there, taking in the cool breeze, cloudless sky, and Texas terrain. My faithful dog Cash must have felt like I did. Instead of heading to the pond for a swim like he usually does, he hunkered down beside my chair and joined me in the silence. We both just sat there and gazed, enjoying doing nothing at all.
As I sat there, I decided to count my blessings. I started with the people closest to me, then let my mind move through a long list of everyone and everything I am grateful for. It took a while, and I am sure I still unintentionally left plenty of people – and things – off. I will be sixty-three in November. By now, you would think I would have learned how refreshing it can be to sit still for a while, do nothing at all, and simply be thankful.
Usually when I sit down, the first thing I do is pull my phone out of my pocket and start scrolling, paying absolutely no attention to what is going on around me. There is no telling what I might have seen or heard if I had not been looking down at my phone. Life is happening all around me, but that phone keeps getting in my way. You bet, I’m guilty of that. I actually feel dumber after spending too much time scrolling.
I had left my phone in the truck, and I was too comfortable to move, so it was just me, my dog and my thoughts. Not a bad way to spend some quality time. I just sat, thinking about nothing important at all, and it was pretty uplifting.
Just as I was about to push myself up from the chair, an enormous whitetail buck stepped out of the brush about thirty yards in front of me. He was in no hurry at all, just easing along on a quiet morning stroll.
I have been going out to my brother’s place for nearly forty years. I have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of deer over the past four decades, yet I have never seen a whitetail buck with such a massive rack as this one …. ever. Muy Grande, my friend.
If you are familiar with deer hunting, you know what I am talking about.
Cash and I just sat there, mesmerized by this giant as he casually strolled by. He never knew we were there. As a bonus, a few moments later, his twin brother hopped out of the brush and began his morning stroll. It was like a re-run of what I just witnessed. In a matter of twenty seconds, I saw the two largest whitetail bucks I have ever seen in my life.
I thought to myself, “dang, I wish I would have had my phone.” Then it dawned on me; If I would’ve had my phone, I would have never seen those two giant bucks walk by because I would have been staring down at my idiot box.
Silence can be a good thing. A time to sit, unplugged from distractions. I need to take more time for me, myself and I … and Cash.
Do I think God sent those deer just for me? Nope, they were gonna stroll by that spot whether I was sitting there or not. I just happened to take the time that morning to stop trying to live so fast and simply be thankful for the moment I was in. God’s creation just played out in front of me – as it always does – I just didn’t miss it this time.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
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Todd Howey is a columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose articles appear on Fridays. Email comments to thowey63@gmail.com.