Slow Picking

This past week has been a sad one.

Amy's son Luke's Daddy was in an awful car wreck and after struggling for life for 72 hours, he passed away yesterday afternoon.

He was 25 years old.

Luke is still so young that I'm sure he doesn't grasp what just happened, but my heart is broken in to a million pieces for him.

I have been very fortunate in that, other then my Uncle John, I have never lost anyone I'm close with. I have not had to come face to face with the finality of death.

But every time I think of little 5 year old Luke and how his entire world has just been altered forever, I'm scared to no end of how final and unexpected death can be.

And I fully believe in Heaven and I know that Luke's Daddy is rejoicing in a new world where there are no tears. That he is fully aware of how short his separation from Luke really is in comparison to eternity.

What bothers me is the sadness of the people left behind.

Luke growing up without his Daddy seems so very, very unfair.

This morning I went to the farm to pick blackberries and peaches. Originally I was going to bring Josie and Amber was going to come with me. After a long night, Amber decided to pass and I decided to drop Josie off at her Nana's.

While I was out there walking the rows, I began to talk to God. I thanked him for Andrew's life and asked for comfort for those he left behind.

And I felt an overwhelming sense of the need to slow down. To quit expecting everyday to be followed by another. To appreciate and be present in each moment.

As I looked around the farm, I noticed nobody rushing around.

You go to the farm and pick your own berries with no agenda in your head. You take your time. You smile at people across the rows and make small talk with old ladies about canning.

I am a list maker. A planner by nature. I tend to schedule my days down to the minute. I know where I need to be and I make sure I get there even if it means neglecting the actual people around me.

I'm a rusher. I don't like to wait. I am not good at sitting still or taking my time.

But God is calling me to be a fruit picker. A slow paced woman who has time for unexpected conversations and is available to love on people.

I spent an hour walking up and down the rows talking to an old man who obviously needed someone to talk to. He shared about his children and grandchildren and the dog he rescued from the side of the road 6 years ago. We talked about motorcycles and how to freeze over ripe peaches.

And as I walked back to my car I thought about how peaceful I felt.

Just one hour of slowing down had worked wonders on my soul.

Life is unpredictable, scary, unsure, and often times much much too short.

So I'm going to strive to keep this Slow Down Mentality. I'm going to talk to strangers who look lonely. I'm going to push Josie on the swing, even though it's 100 degrees outside. I will stay up way past my bedtime to listen to Andrew's latest business plan. And I will appreciate the fact that I was given a few more hours on this Earth.