"I dolce vita"

"I dolce vita"

Proverbs 24:14, "Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul, if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and our hope will not be cut off." You are probably a little confused from the title of this blog. You may be thinking my fingers were on the wrong keys and I meant to type something different. Nope. I do have a point...and I will be getting to it shortly. I've been on a weekend getaway with my sisters, sister-n-law, and my step mom. It has been a most splendid getaway so far. The feeling of relaxation is something I want to put in a jar, and bring home with me. All of our lives have been so busy lately, with our families, our husbands, our children, our jobs and our yearning to survive in this nutty world. So, we decided to get together, no matter what the cost, and have some time, that we only devote to one another for a couple of days. Sometimes relationships need a little extra nurturing, and this is that time for all of us!! No interruptions...just pure, utter enjoyment together. I can't say that we do much of anything...we kind of do a lot of nothing. But, that is all that it takes...just being together. Like good girlfriends, who could hang out all day, shopping for nothing, eating alot of something, and talking about everything, or... without saying much, just being in each other's presence. I am reading a book and it described close friends perfectly, but I will use it to describe my sisters, who in a sense...are that in a nutshell...my close friends. The author described a close friend, as a tight skirt, one that you can wear tightly, snug against your skin. I think that's a perfect depiction... cuz I want them close to me, snug against my skin! I'm finding it very easy to relax this weekend. Not sure, if it is because I am away from the monotany of life; work, kids, errands, bills, and other worries, or if it is because I have given myself the permission to. I find, that I stress myself out when there is no need sometimes. Moments when I should just "chill", as my kids call it, I choose not to. I choose to run around with my head flapping in chaos, thinking that I have to get things done, or the world will cease as we know it, instead of just sitting, being still. Taking in life, from a sitting down position...not running from it and going nowhere...missing out on so much. I've learned that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight". (I Corinthians 3:19) I wonder if God is thinking, "Look at her running around, driving herself crazy. If only she would rest in Me a while. I would sort everything out." But...I run, and run, and run. I fully exhaust myself. I am left tired and breathless. I am foolish. So...this weekend is a lesson in "I dolce vita". "I dolce vita" is an Italian phrase that means "the sweet life". I am taking it all in. I am seeing the "sweetness" all around me. The sweetness that God has for me. I sat in a lawn chair by the pool today, and allowed my face to absorb the sun, feeling each ray tighten my skin as it draped over me. When I laid my head on my pillow last night, to go to sleep, I felt each piece of cotton within the pillow, as it hugged my face, embracing me softly, as if God were saying, "Lay your troubles here". Not only did I sleep, but I rested. No thoughts of what I needed to do, or planned to do the next day. Just silence...just sleep. As we are all visiting, I look around the room, taking in every face that I see, noticing the differences in our smiles, our expressions, the way our mouths move when we laugh. I see our similarities in the way that we love each other. I see the admiration in our eyes, when one of us is talking, and the rest of us are drowning in the listening, submerged in them, feeling every word that comes out of their mouth. I'm soaking up the sweetness that is all around me. The fact is, the "sweetness" is with me every day. I allow myself to get so busy with "lists" and "stuff" that I forget to see it, look for it and take in all of it that is around me. I already know what to do...I just have to do it. I need to stop, take a deep breath, exhale...and enjoy "I dolce vita", leaving all the other stuff for another day. And God will help me do that! He is the perfect balance that I need. He is the one that I need to find my rest in.He is my sweetness! Around me are all the things that He created for me to enjoy and take in. And here I am, missing it all...because I have "so much to do". God is "L'amor che move il sole e l'atre stelle". That is Italian for, "the love that moves the sun and the other stars". His love can move the universe, and I won't let Him move me, long enough to sort all the craziness out. Here I go again...doubting Him without being concious of it. Here I am trying to write my life...without being the author of it. If I would just sit down, sit back, and prop my feet up on God's lap and tell Him..."O.K. God...what next?" But I don't...I wear myself out, and am left with nothing, after trying to do it all by myself, and not enjoying my sweet life that He is trying to offer me. So...I hereby give myself permission to relax, kick off my shoes...and enjoy "I dolce vita"! I will absorb and take in all the sweetness that God has to offer me; in my walk with Him, with my children, with my husband, with my family, with my friendships, with my work (if that is possible), with my hobbies, and even with my weaknesses. I will live "I dolce vita"! I am enjoying my time right now, but I am looking forward to the "sweetness" that awaits me when I get home. I can't wait to absorb it all...every speck of it! I encourage you to find, take in, and enjoy your "dolce vita"! Thank you God for helping me feel the "Sonlight" on my face. Awaken my heart and open my eyes to see all that you have to offer me. I look forward to "I dolce vita"! *Psalm 34:8, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." *Psalm119:103, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth." *Psalm 3:24, "When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."