Recognizing Small Gifts

Lake Michigan is basically just on the other side of my front door and, still, I take it for granted.  So, I decided to visit Red Arrow Beach today.  It was beautiful, warm and…well, deserted.  I had the beach all to myself.

Realizing I’ve taken this vast body of water for granted for quite some time, I decided to give Lake Michigan some thought as I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my skin while I walked along the beach.  I thought about how Lake Michigan is the reason we don’t usually get heavy snowfall in the winter despite the occasional “lake affect” snowstorm.  Lake Michigan is also what protects us from the weather-related events like tornados and hurricanes that seem to plague other areas of the country.

I thought about how Lake Michigan seems to control the temperature around here, too, to one degree or another (pardon the pun).  It’s not that it doesn’t get cold here in the winter or hot in the summer, because it does.  It’s just that when it’s thirty below inland, it’s only zero here.  And when it’s 90 degrees on the other side of town, it’ll be a balmy 70 degrees here.

And finally, I thought about how very pretty Lake Michigan is…at least what I can see of it.  I grew up on the west coast and living where I do is the closest thing to being back by the Pacific that Wisconsin can provide.  And I love it.

So, why am I writing about my affinity for Lake Michigan?  Well, it’s because of my involvement with, “I am Second.”  At the most recent meeting with my “I Am Second” group, I decided to take time to recognize the many gifts God gives to all of us every moment of every day.  I remember thinking that that would be a synch, but, boy, I was wrong.  It’s not easy at all.

To be honest, I’ve had to pull myself to a standstill to actually pay attention to any given present moment.  I know that may sound crazy, but it’s true.  And it was in those moments that I realized I’ve taken much, much more than “just” Lake Michigan for granted…

Anyway, it blows my mind that God can and does give us all so much and yet, we, His own children, complain and demand more.  Well, today, I got more without asking for a thing.  I had time to reflect on the beauty of Lake Michigan and enjoy a stroll along Red Arrow Beach.  Today, I enjoyed a wondrous gift from God.

If you would like to learn more about “I am Second,” please click here