Now I Can Finally Start to Live

"Now I can finally start to live, take those chances I have missed,
Things will be so different, now that I know you call me beautiful."
(From "Call Me Beautiful" by Ginny Owens)

It was a beautiful August afternoon and the Grand Canyon was more breathtaking than I had ever imagined. I could barely contain my excitement as we anticipated the sunset over the Canyon. A former employee had advised us on the "perfect" spot to view this incredible event and we arrived over an hour early to secure our place on the edge of the Canyon. I certainly wasn’t going to miss this once-in-a-lifetime photo-op!
As the crowd gathered and the sun began its decent, a few scattered drops of rain began to fall. Not a deterrent to me, but for some reason, my husband panicked. He insisted that we return immediately to the bus and secure a seat…certainly if it started pouring, there wouldn’t be enough seats on the bus for everyone. I complied, though not very willingly.
As we started for the bus, the young man who had told us about this viewing location called out to us, "You’re not leaving because you think it’s going to rain, are you? If it does rain, there will be rainbows all over the Canyon!" Oh my, what a dilemma. However, in my desire to please my husband, I boarded the bus with him. It never did start raining, however, we watched the sunset from our seats on the bus. At least we could still photograph the moment – with a myriad of people in the foreground!
The following day, we drove to the North Rim of the Canyon. This ended up being my favorite spot because it was so much less crowded. We found a short trail where you could hike up to a panoramic overlook. My husband didn’t want to climb the steep trail. My daughter and her friend weren’t interested either. I thought about the previous day and the incredible opportunity that I missed out on and I decided that I was going to the top even if no one would go with me! Indeed there was an awesome view when I arrived (out of breath!) and I was so glad that I didn’t let anyone discourage me from following my heart’s desire!
Looking back on our trip to the Grand Canyon, I realized how much the events of that trip reminded me of my life. I have always complied with the desires of others and I very rarely step out in faith to pursue my dreams. I wondered about other once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that I may have forfeited because I was more concerned about someone else’s plan for my life than in the desires that God had placed in my heart. I vowed to "seize" each moment that God gives me and to follow my dreams as He shows me the way.