The morning is cool, and the sounds of the day begin. These are not the usual sounds of trucks, buses and the multiplicity of car horns barking, “MOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!”
The sounds I am referring to are the ones that come from the agricultural building at the Florida Strawberry Festival fairgrounds. The roosters that awaken the dawn, the cows with a different type of horn that yells, “MOOOOOOOOOOORNING.” The goats, chickens, pigs and numerous other animals that speak out to greet the new beginning and also remind others: “Yep, it’s breakfast time. And I am not on the menu this time.”
These are the simple sounds of life I believe we too often overlook. As I walk the fairgrounds in the early part of the day to pray over the gates, the rides, the vendor booths and the people that serve faithfully, I tend to walk a bit slower around the ag center. It is because these sounds of a simple life are the ones I missed during all those 25 years in the U.S. Army.
For our military, the mornings start earlier, with the heralding call of the trumpet: “It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up,” followed by the sound of the cannon and the flag of our nation raised to kiss the morning sky as the day broke through the veil of darkness. The singing of cadence and the grinding of machines, vehicles, tanks and helicopters become the music of the greatest military on Earth. This music plays across the bases and surrounding communities a song of precious freedom and, like the simple noises of a farm, can become forgotten in the hustle and bustle of life.
Even after a year of retirement and transitioning into the various areas of service for the greatest community on Earth, I also have fallen into the herding mentality to “do, do, do,” rather than taking the critical moments in the fresh morning to ask the Heavenly Father, “What should I do first?” It is only when I give myself the permission to listen that I finally can hear that life is not about finishing first or with the most stuff. It is about finishing well and touching the most hearts along the way.
As I ended my second year of watching over the festival and the incredible people who poured tirelessly into keeping it a safe family experience, I took away a lesson I heard from one of the older vendors. He was fixing up his special area of commerce, when one of the other exhibitors asked, “Why are you fixing the flowers and the stuff around your booth? People just walk by too fast to even notice all your effort.”
He stood up and smiled a gentle smile and said: “I guess it is not for the ones who are hurrying through life. It is for those who have learned to walk slower, breathe deeper and enjoy life more fully that I fix it up. You see, when those folks stop and look at the decorations and doodads, I can greet them and say, ‘I did this for you! I’m glad to see ya!’”
Every morning, God greets us with a new day, a new start and a new direction. He also whispers into our busy lives and hearts a reminder of His love by the words: “I did this for you! I’m glad to see you!”
Did you notice it this morning?
Chaplain Ret. Maj. Daniel Middlebrooks is president and CEO of Comprehensive Chaplaincy Care and Consulting and pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church. For more information, call (813) 767-2082 or email to chaplainmiddlebrooks@hotmail.com.