How has your day gone? 

• Was it hectic, attempting to meet countless demands at work that most likely will not be met?
• Do you ever feel like an octopus with every tentacle grabbing onto something and there are more something’s vying for your attention?
• Have you ever had the urge to appear in a sequel to Castaway, being stranded on a deserted island so that you can simply be alone and perhaps having a meaningful conversation with your volleyball, Wilson?
• Some of us love our “nothing boxes” and would choose to dwell there if left to our own devices.  “I ain’t ever coming out” is our battle cry. However, reality calls you by name and you know you can’t dwell there forever.

If you want SIMPLICITY, then this is the most important post you are going to read all year.  OK, maybe not all year – will today may suffice?

My gut tells me I am not alone and the word S-I-M-P-L-I-F-Y is longing to have a place in the day-to-day.  There is something refreshing in “taking five“.  Many times it is almost a divine moment.  After all, we are encouraged in scripture to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Here’s a question, “How’s that being still stuff working for you?

If you are like me, most of the time we rush from one thing to another, taking on the persona of Superman (or Superwoman), being able to leap tall buildings with a single bound not to mention being faster than a speeding bullet while doing it!  We leave very little margin in our comings and goings.  We are bank accounts that are overdrawn and the overdraft fees are mounting up.  We may be get by for a while, but in the long run things do and will catch up with us.

Want to try something on for size? Why not come at your day, even for a brief moment or two, like a little child?

Carefree. Get out of Dodge for five minutes.  Go for a walk.  Sit in your car in silence.  Doodle.  Paint by numbers.  Do something unusual.  Be your own therapist. Stare at a tree or a flower and feel the wonder.  Close your eyes and listen to nothing.  Give yourself permission to take five.  Five!

Last week my wife asked me to help in her second grade classroom before the day began.  The morning was somewhat hectic.  Once a month, she has to remove all of the desks from her room so that the janitorial staff can wax the floors.  The next morning she needs to put them back before the kids arrive. Getting ready for the school day is demanding enough without having to deal with desks.  I sincerely do not know how she does it and she asks for my assistance. In the process of putting desks back for “little Johnny” and “little Suzy” to park their derrieres, I glanced at her bulletin board and found a short story written by one of her students.  It was my “take five” moment for the day and gave me a good laugh.

Allow me to share it with you.

The Lost Peanuts by Emily

Lizzy the elephant lives in the jungle.  She lost her peanuts!  Lizzy asked her friend Belle, the turtle, for help.  Belle enjoyed pineapple.  Belle gave pineapple to Lizzy.  Lizzy and Belle went to the beach.  Lizzy and Belle dug for a very long time but they finally found the peanuts. Lizzy was so joyful she ate them all for dinner.

What can you do today to invite that TAKE FIVE moment in?  I would love to hear your comments!