(#12) I'm thankful for fresh air

Until I was sixteen, we lived out in western Limestone County, far from the lights of the towns of Athens and Rogersville. You could see a lot of stars at night. Many nights were spent out on the front porch, admiring the sky as we sat on the swing or on the steps, listening to the chorus of the frogs down at the pond. Sometimes dad would take my sister and I out onto the lawn and we would lay on our backs to look for satellites or shooting stars until the bugs in the grass started bothering us. 

Tonight my mind is swirling with emotions: fear, anger, confusion, disappointment. At the same time there is thankfulness, and even peace. Sometimes things happen that can't possibly be anticipated. Sometimes those things are good; other times they are hard and painful. Maybe those times are also good, just in a different way. 

I don't always know how to process thoughts like these. 

But one thing that always helps me is to just breathe some fresh air. Get out of the office, get out of the house. If possible, get out of the city. Tonight, just sitting outside on the porch and breathing in the cool night air, seeing the stars, and letting myself experience those emotions and think those thoughts was helpful. No resorting to escapism. No running away this time. It's never worked and it never will. 

God is so good. His mercies never fail; they are new every morning, and tomorrow morning will be no different. 

I'm thankful for fresh air.