Savor your Summer. . . Savor your Summer. . .  Savor your Summer. . .

This is the current soundtrack to my stream of consciousness.  All Winter, we dreamed of these Summer days:  flowers blooming on the patio, triathlon training at the reservoir, strolling down the cobblestoned walkway of Pearl Street at dusk, family barbeques complete with water guns and a slowed cadence when compared to the bustle of the holidays.  With seven weeks remaining, I want to soak up every second of my all-time favorite season before trading flip flops for boots.

On top of the pumpkin-spiced everything and football on Sunday afternoons, I am secretly looking forward to Autumn workouts with cooler temperatures and the crunch of leaves under my feet.  I won’t be the only one to occupy the concrete trails.  Soon, there will be flocks of Canada Geese making their way to Colorado by way of beautifully symmetric ‘V’ formations in the sky.  Once they get settled in for the Winter, their unmistakable honking will be evidence of their arrival.  Hilariously enough, I’ve had a recurring dream about these crazy birds chasing me during my runs.  While I have yet to have a goose chase after me during waking hours, they do pose another threat.  It’s green and white and can be found all over.  Along almost every stretch of sidewalk there is a lovely maze of poo.

Last Fall, it occurred to me that I have two options while trying to navigate their mess:

1. I can watch every step I take when I’m in the middle of it.
2. I can keep my gaze on what’s up ahead and use my peripheral vision to determine the safe spots to land before I even get there.

The latter is so much more efficient.  As I was thinking through the difference in each approach, I realized that dodging goose poop can be likened to dealing with the distractions in life that keep us from living to the fullest and accomplishing our goals.  Family drama can sneak up unexpectedly, coworkers can show up to the office in a terrible mood, vehicles can have expensive mechanical failures and dinners can be burned to a crisp.  These things can steal our attention and rob us of our joy in no time flat if we allow our thinking to get caught up in the mess.  Instead, we need to make the choice to see the bigger picture.  I love the way The Message translates Colossians 3:1-2:

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”

If there is a distraction holding you back, take some time to write about it, pray about it and MOVE ON!  Take your eyes off the poop and enjoy the view!