Grateful for the moment

Every spring in Tennessee brings a brand new batch of fawns. This year, we have a few deer families living in the meadow by the pond. I'm always in awe that I get to walk out the back door and be surrounded by so much wildlife.

Deer are naturally curious, and fawns, even moreso.

But, as physically close as I've been to the fawns, I respect the fact that their survival depends on me keeping a safe distance.

Fawns are born with a very faint, almost absent scent, which makes it easier for mama deer to hide them from predators. Since human's have a much stronger scent, physical touch puts them at a higher risk of predators.  As much as I want to pet them, for their safety and wellbeing, I don't.

Nevertheless, I'm grateful that I get to walk outside every day and watch them sleeping, eating, and playing just a few feet away. That, in itself, is a blessing.

I remember a few times in my life where I arrived at the precipice of something I'd been working towards for so long, only to find out it wasn't the best thing for me. But the dream of that destination led me to people and places I never would have encountered otherwise. And maybe that's God. Maybe He gives us dreams and visions to follow to get us to move to the next fork in the road, where He gives us a new insight, a new understanding, and a new vision.

The goal for me is not the destination, but rather, the moments on the journey where I learn something new, experience a breakthrough, see things in a different light. The journey for me, is about accepting the gift of the moment, whether it works out the way I want it to or not. It's about accepting that my plan isn't always what's best. I may have a subjective roadmap, but God has a better one. It's about letting go of my will, trusting God's roadmap, and being grateful for the now, trusting that the end result is better than I could ever imagine.

Today, right now, I am grateful for the now, no matter what the now brings.

What are you grateful for today?