“Surely they busy themselves in vain.”
Too Busy to Enjoy the Present
Have you ever been so busy trying to get from one place to another that you miss the precious moments that would have created a treasured memory? Has your life ever been so crazy that you miss all the beautiful, small things going on right in front of you?
Nanette Matthews really summed it up when she said,
“If you’re always racing off to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in?”
I have looked back at my own life and have seen where I’ve been so busy with “my own stuff” that I’ve missed out on times with God, with my wife, my children, and my friends. I did this just by allowing the stresses of life and people to control my time.
A Social Experiment That Illustrates My Point
This is a true story: In a Metro station in Washington D.C., on a cold January morning, a young musician played several classical compositions as people rushed by.
After about three minutes, a middle-aged man slowed down briefly, then hurried onwards. Thirty seconds later this young man received his first dollar; a woman threw it in his music case without stopping. Six minutes later, a man leaned against a wall to listen for a few minutes, then looked at his watch, and walked on.
After about ten minutes, a little boy stopped, but his mom hurried him along. Other kids did the same, but every parent, without exception, did the same and hurried their child on to the next destination. In the end, this young musician played for around forty-five minutes.
During this time seven people stopped and listened for a while, and twenty people gave him money as they walked past. He collected a total of $32! The funny thing is when he stopped playing, nobody cared, nobody noticed, or no one even said thanks or applauded.
What’s incredible about this story is that the musician was a violinist named Joshua Bell*, one of the world’s greatest musicians. As people passed by, he played some of the most intricate pieces ever written for the violin. And this violin he owned was actually worth around $3,500,000!
Just two days prior, he sold out a Boston theatre where the seats averaged $100, each to listen to him play the same music he played at the Metro station that morning. Unfortunately, there was only one person who actually recognized who he was.
What Are You Missing Out On?
So, here’s the big question to ask yourself: If you’ve no time to stop and listen to one of the world’s greatest musicians playing the finest music ever written, on one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, what else are you missing as you try to rush through life?
It’s worth thinking about, isn’t it?
Live in the Present Moment
My prayer for you is that even as you read this blog, you ask the Lord to show you how to slow down and take in all the beauty that He has created in the little things He has surrounding you.
Learn to breathe and listen to your soul and what it needs.
As it says in Isaiah 55:3,
“Incline your ear, and come to me: hear, and your soul shall live.”
To hear His voice is to live. So, don’t rush just to get to the next destination in your life, otherwise you will probably miss some of the greatest and smallest details that could really change the way you see things.
Even if it’s for a few minutes, feel your heartbeat slowing and enjoy the moment of when you can just be still and know that He is God…
*Note: Joshua Bell played incognito as part of a social experiment conducted by The Washington Post.